Is it possible and how to keep bell peppers fresh for a long time?

Bell pepper is a vegetable that is actively used in cooking for preparing various dishes.

It has a rich composition of useful substances - vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

But it’s not enough to just grow it – you need to try to keep the pepper fresh for a long time.

We will tell you further about how to store bell peppers in the freezer for the winter.

Choosing vegetables for fresh storage

In order for the pepper to last for a long time, it must be selected very carefully. The best option is ripened fruits with pronounced color and rich taste.

In addition, you can harvest vegetables of technical maturity, which have a good size, but have not yet acquired full color and taste.

Top 4 best ways

Depending on the volume of the harvested crop and the existing conditions, it is determined how best to maintain the vegetables.

In a refrigerator

Peppers can be stored in a regular kitchen refrigerator for up to 3 months. The disadvantage of this method is the limitation on the volume of vegetables.

Procedure:

1. Wash the fruits.
2. Dry.
3. Rub the surface of each pepper with sunflower oil.
4. Pack each fruit in a separate bag.
5. Make holes in the bags to allow air to enter.
6. Place in the refrigerator in a special compartment intended for vegetables.

Instead of bags, you can use plastic film.

In the cellar or basement

The cellar and basement are traditional places for storing vegetables for a long time. You can place fruits that are not fully ripened and are at the stage of technical maturity in them.

Procedure:

• install boxes on the podium;
• cover the bottom of the boxes with paper;
• each piece must be wrapped in food paper or in a bag;
• lay out in boxes in layers, sprinkling them with sawdust or sand.

Even with proper organization of storage conditions, pepper will not last more than a couple of months.

On the balcony

For long-term storage on a glassed-in balcony, you can use even slightly unripe peppers. The shelf life under such conditions is on average 2 to 3 months.

To organize storage space you will need:

• wooden box;
• food paper;
• blanket or other insulation.

Procedure:

• Wrap the selected fruits in food paper (each separately);
• put the peppers in a box;
• if the temperature is below 0°C, then the box with vegetables should be wrapped in a blanket to protect it from freezing.

When storing bell peppers on the balcony at sub-zero temperatures, the box should be placed not on the floor, but on a raised surface.

In the apartment

In a city apartment, it is more difficult to organize the storage of vegetables, especially if there are large stocks. Fruits are best preserved in a cool pantry, protected from light.

You will need a box or other container in which you can put the existing fruits. The principle of action is similar to the way of organizing conditions on the balcony.

What not to do?

When organizing fresh storage of bell peppers for a long period of time, The following prohibitions should be taken into account:

1. The fruits should not touch each other.
2. Fruits with defects should not be sent for storage for future use - such peppers should be used first.
3. The packaging of peppers should not be airtight, as this promotes rotting of the fruit. If cellophane bags or cling film are used, holes must be made to allow air exchange and maintain humidity levels.
4. You cannot keep the crop in the light, including under artificial lighting.
5. The vegetable should not be allowed to be near the harvested apples, as this can accelerate the overripening and even rotting of the peppers.
6. It is prohibited to use newspaper sheets for wrapping, as printing ink is harmful to food.

Without careful preparation of the site and the fruits themselves, the harvest cannot be maintained for a long time.

Recommendations

In order to preserve pepper for a long time, It is necessary to ensure optimal conditions for storing fruits:

1. One of the main requirements for creating optimal storage conditions is low air temperature, which should be in the range from 0°C to +3°C.

   At higher temperatures, the harvested fruits will quickly deteriorate, and at temperatures below 0°C, the vegetables will begin to freeze and lose nutrients.

2. The vegetable must be placed in a dark room, since the sun's rays falling on it significantly shorten the time it sits.
3. The humidity level in a closed storage area should be from 60 to 70%, in an open place - from 50 to 55%.
4. In addition to wooden boxes, you can use boxes made of thick cardboard to store peppers.
5. When left in a box for a long time, the crop must be sorted periodically. If spoiled fruits are identified, they are removed from the storage location.
6. It is not advisable to use vegetables that have been lying around for a long time after harvesting for preservation.

Video on the topic of the article

2 ways to freeze peppers for the winter - in the video:

Conclusion

Fresh bell peppers can be stored for 2 or 3 months by properly organizing storage conditions and carefully selecting the fruits. If you need to preserve a very large harvest of bell peppers, you can use freezing, canning vegetables or storing them in dried form.