Tricky ways to preserve sweet peppers for the winter at home for as long as possible

Sweet pepper is an aromatic, tasty vegetable with a rich composition, including many useful substances.

It is used for preparing a large number of dishes.

To be able to use sweet peppers in winter, they must be properly prepared.

We will tell you further how to preserve sweet peppers for the winter.

Storage Features

Bell peppers are harvested as they ripen. Fully ripened fruits have a distinct color for a particular variety, have an aroma and a bright taste. Such peppers are biologically ripe. They are used for freezing and stored raw.

After harvesting, vegetables are subject to mandatory sorting. At the same time, attention is paid to the size of the fruit, their color, density, presence/absence of damage. Rotten, wilted and damaged vegetables cannot be stored for long periods of time.

Fresh

Raw vegetables contain the maximum amount of nutrients. Despite the density of the vegetable, it is not worth keeping it warm for a long time.

The optimal conditions for it are a cellar, a refrigerator, an equipped balcony with the possibility of keeping the crop cool.

Advantages of ways to keep vegetables fresh:

• preserving the appearance and taste of vegetables;
• Can be used raw and for preparing various dishes.

Flaws:

• high demands on living conditions;
• relatively short shelf life;
• damage to part of the harvest is possible;
• it is necessary to have space for the crop;
• it is necessary to periodically inspect vegetables during storage and carry out rejection;
• It is necessary to take care of the availability of containers for packaging and storing peppers.

In the cellar

Vegetables that are predominantly technically mature are placed in the basement or cellar. So that they last for several weeks, The following conditions must be created:

• the air temperature should be up to +10? C;
• air humidity is about 90%.

It is also necessary to ensure air circulation, and light does not fall on the vegetables. Cooked fruits should be placed in layers in a box, lined with parchment or white paper. You can sprinkle the vegetables with sawdust or sand. It is advisable to limit the number of layers to two or three.

When storing peppers for a long time, it is necessary to periodically go down to the cellar and check the condition of the vegetables, removing spoiled ones.

On the balcony

Sweet peppers cannot stay on the balcony all winter. Maximum – a couple of months.

As in the case of storing fresh vegetables in the basement, it is necessary to ensure air exchange and protection from sun exposure.

Storage temperature – up to +12? C. Wooden boxes can serve as storage containers. To protect containers with vegetables from light, it is better to cover them, for example, with burlap.

In a refrigerator

Sweet pepper fruits are well preserved for 2-3 months in a regular refrigerator. The disadvantage of such storage is the limited size of the chamber, which does not allow placing a large crop.

In order for vegetables to sit for a long time, they must be carefully selected and the dirt wiped off. After this, each fruit should be lightly rubbed with vegetable oil and wrapped in paper. Prepared peppercorns are placed in a plastic bag or in a plastic container with a lid. Condensation should not be allowed to appear on the fruits, as this leads to rotting of the vegetable.

At room temperature

In the warmth of a city apartment, sweet peppers will not last long. The maximum is a few days, and it begins to wither almost immediately. Even if you put the pepper in the pantry, it will not last until spring.

Freezing

Freezing sweet peppers - an effective method of preserving the taste of vegetables and its appearance throughout the winter, and even until the new harvest. You need to select ripe fruits without rotten areas.

Peppers can be frozen whole or cut into strips (cubes). Before placing them in the freezer, they must be washed and dried, seeds and stalks removed. Freezing whole fruits will allow you to use peppers for preparing them with filling.

The preparations can be packaged in plastic bags with a zipper or in containers. You need to distribute the vegetable so that it fits compactly in the freezer.

Advantages of the method of storing vegetables by freezing:

• preservation of most useful substances;
• preservation of appearance and taste.

Disadvantages of the method:

• pre-treatment is required (washing, removing seeds, etc.);
• freezer space required;
• defrosted pepper quickly loses its density;
• electricity costs for running the freezer.

Once thawed, a product can no longer be re-frozen. Read more Here.

This video will tell you about freezing sweet peppers:

Drying

Sweet peppers can be dried. Vegetables prepared in this way can be stored for a long time - until the next harvest, within a year. Dried peppers can be used as an additive when preparing various dishes, such as soups, meat, vegetables, etc.

Processing process:

1. Rinse the fruits.
2. Dry.
3. Cut into cubes or strips.
4. Blanch in water for a couple of minutes.
5. Transfer to a sieve.
6. Let the water drain.
7. Set the oven temperature to 60?C.
8. Let dry, stirring occasionally, for several hours. Readiness is determined by the fragility of the pepper. If it has not become brittle but remains flexible, it is necessary to continue drying.

Advantages of the processing method:

• the ability to process a large volume of vegetables;
• You can use damaged fruits by pre-pruning;
• long shelf life of the product;
• compact storage;
• ease of use.

Disadvantages of the preparation method:

• the complexity of the processing process;
• loss of some beneficial properties, aroma and taste;
• costs of gas or electricity during drying.

When moisture is lost as a result of drying, the weight of the finished product decreases by approximately 12 times.

About drying sweet peppers - video:

Conservation

Canning is one of the ways to preserve vegetables in the winter. If the pepper has damaged areas, they need to be cut off, and the rest used for preparing lecho, salads and various dressings in which the vegetable appears in chopped form.

Advantages of the processing method:

• the ability to use vegetables with defects, since damaged fragments of pulp can be cut off;
• long-term storage in winter.

Flaws:

• storage space required;
• the cost of time and labor for preparing dressings and salads;
• Many recipes contain large amounts of salt and vinegar, which is not always healthy.

Seasoning

Seasoning made from pepper will enrich the taste of various dishes during the cold season.

Required ingredients:

• 2 kg pepper;
• 2 tbsp. salt.

Operating procedure:

1. Wash and dry the peppers.
2. Remove the seeds, stem and membranes from the pepper.
3. Pass the pepper through a meat grinder.
4. Add salt.
5. Mix.
6. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
7. Mix again.
8. Divide the mixture into jars.
9. Pour 2 tbsp into each jar on top. vegetable oil. This will prevent the development of rotting processes.
10. Close with a nylon lid.

This dressing should be stored in the refrigerator.

In oil

For pickling sweet peppers you need to prepare:

• 3 kg of sweet pepper;
• 3 cups vegetable oil;
• 4 tbsp. water;
• 2/3 cup vinegar;
• peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic cloves - several pieces each;
• 2/3 cup sugar;
• 2/3 cup salt.

Work order:

1. Rinse the pepper.
2. Cut each one lengthwise.
3. Remove the stem and seeds.
4. Blanch the peppers in oil for 2 minutes.
5. Separately for the marinade, combine water, black pepper, bay leaf, and vinegar.
6. Boil the marinade.
7. Place pepper into jars.
8. Add chopped garlic.
9. Pour in the marinade.
10. Sterilize the jars for a quarter of an hour.
11. Roll up.
12. Store in a cool, dark place.

Pickled sweet peppers, video recipe:

7 recommendations

Save sweet peppers for the winter The following expert recommendations will help:

1. Even damaged vegetables can be used for preparations. Affected areas must be cut off. A good part can be used for drying or freezing.
2. Wet vegetables should not be frozen; they must be dried first, otherwise a lot of ice will form.
3. When storing fresh peppers, it is necessary to exclude not only exposure to natural, but also artificial light.
4. In the refrigerator, it is recommended to keep vegetables in sections that are specifically designed for these products.
5. Boxes for storing fresh fruits on the balcony, pantry or cellar must be breathable.
6. When packing fresh peppers in paper, newspapers should not be used - contact with the printing ink of food products is not desirable.
7. Instead of drying peppers in the oven, you can use an electric dryer for vegetables and fruits.

Conclusion

There are various ways to preserve sweet peppers for the winter. The choice of option depends on the condition of the fruit and the planned future use. You can use several methods to prepare a variety of dishes.