Several ways to store chili peppers correctly and for as long as possible at home

Chili pepper is a vegetable that is used to add a spicy kick to dishes.

To be able to use the pepper for a long time after harvesting, it must be properly prepared.

There are many recipes for storing chili peppers - drying, freezing, canning, and even storing raw.

Preparing for winter storage in an apartment

Peppers are harvested both fully ripe and brown. If it is necessary to freeze or dry a vegetable, then it is necessary to select fully ripened fruits. Pods without damage or rot and with a stalk must be harvested.

The harvested crop should be inspected and sorted. If the fruits have damage (for example, cracks), then they are harvested crushed, after cutting off the damaged areas. In the form of semi-finished products, washed and dried chili is sent for canning and freezing.

The spiciness of a pepper is determined by its ripeness, which can be judged by its color. Saturated, pronounced bright red and yellow colors indicate the ripeness of the fruit. The green tint is characteristic of a vegetable that is not yet fully ripe.

Peculiarities

Chili peppers selected for long-term storage, depending on the condition of the fruit, are sorted according to the types of future preparations.

The chosen type of vegetable processing affects the degree of sharpness of the product. The source of bitterness in the vegetable is the seeds..

If the preparation requires strong sharpness, they are not removed. At the same time, over time, the bitterness of peppercorns will only increase. If the seeds are removed, the pungency of the pepper will not change, remaining at the same level throughout the entire storage period.

Thanks to the special chemical composition, chili peppers practically do not rot, since its natural bitterness also serves as a preservative.

Fresh

Chili keeps well in the refrigerator. To prevent the pepper from spoiling, it must be washed, dried and placed in plastic bags, in which you need to make several small holes.

This is necessary to prevent moisture from condensation from accumulating inside. Placed in a bag in the vegetable compartment, chili peppers can be kept for a couple of weeks.

But he won’t be able to lie like that all winter. If the pepper is stored simply in bulk, then it can lie in the refrigerator for several days, after which it will begin to lose its quality and appearance. In cellar conditions, chili can be kept for an average of 1.5-2 months.

The main thing is that suitable conditions are created:

• protection from light, especially sunlight;
• air temperature around +7-10? C.

To do this, the entire plant is dug up and the soil is cleared away. The peppercorns themselves are not removed from the bush. The entire plant is suspended by the trunk so that the roots are at the top.In this form, chili can be stored in a cool pantry or cellar for up to 3 months.

How to keep chili peppers fresh for a long time, will tell you this article about storage in the refrigerator - this.

Dried

Chili peppers can be dried. When dried, it can be stored for a long time - until the next harvest.. It can be dried either whole or in crushed form.

Air drying

Natural drying involves distribution of pods over a level board installed in a well-ventilated place horizontally.

The top of the vegetables is covered with gauze to protect them from insects and debris.

Under favorable conditions, sunny, dry and warm weather, the drying process takes 7-14 days. Readiness is determined by the fragility acquired by the fruit.

In the oven

In a city apartment or with high humidity outside, chili pepper can be dried in the oven. The pods are washed and dried with a towel or napkins.

The fruits can be dried whole or cut into pieces. In the latter case, you must first cut off the stalk and remove all the seeds. After this, the fruits are cut.

Procedure:

1. The pepper is distributed on a baking sheet in one layer.
2. The baking sheet is placed in the oven.
3. Set the oven heating temperature to +50? C. The door is not closed tightly.
4. You need to stir the pepper periodically so that it dries evenly.

Drying in the oven takes several hours.

Stringing Pods

Chili peppers can be dried in whole pods by stringing them in the stalk area on a thick thread or fishing line.The resulting bundles should be hung in a warm place with good ventilation. On average, complete drying takes place in 7-10 days. After this, the peppercorns are transferred to a canvas bag or other container and stored in a dry place.

Product shelf life – one year. After this time, the chili begins to lose its properties. A pepper strung in a garland can serve as an original decoration for the dining room.

Electric dryer for vegetables and fruits

The use of an electric dryer for processing the hot pepper harvest simplifies and speeds up the process. For uniform processing, it is advisable to periodically change tiers.

Freezing

Freeze chili Can be whole pods or chopped. The product can be stored for up to a year. The peppers are first washed and dried.

How to freeze hot peppers, read Here. About freezing chili peppers - video:

Canning

There are many methods for preserving chili. Among them there are recipes for both vegetable mixtures and the preparation of pepper as the main component of future dishes.

In oil

One of the simplest recipes for preparing chili is using sunflower oil. The resulting workpiece should be stored in a cool place, protected from light.

Procedure:

1. Rinse the ripe fruits.
2. Dry on a towel.
3. Cut off the tails.
4. Cut the pods lengthwise.
5. Remove seeds.
6. Place chilies in clean jars
7. Add spices (a few green leaves, a couple of peas each of allspice and black pepper).
8. Pour in warm sunflower oil.
9. Roll up.
10. Let stand for at least 14 days.

Sunflower oil has the ability to retain the hotness of peppers well. After opening the jar, you can use not only the pepper for cooking, but also the sunflower oil with which it was filled. During the time that the preparation is infused, it acquires an interesting aroma and piquancy.

With vinegar

For marinating you need to prepare:

• ripe peppers without damage;
• bay leaf (1-2 pcs.);
• dill (small bunch);
• sugar (6 tbsp);
• salt (3 tbsp);
• vinegar (2 cups);
• 10 black peppercorns.

Procurement procedure:

1. Wash and dry the peppers.
2. Fold it compactly into a clean jar, trying to fill it as much as possible.
3. Place dill and bay leaf on the bottom.
4. Prepare the marinade - boil 2 cups of vinegar with salt, black peppercorns and sugar.
5. Pour the marinade over the peppers until all the chili pods are covered.
6. Roll up.

Marinating chili with wine vinegar - on video:

With garlic

To prepare the chili, you need to wash and dry it. The tails are cut off.

Ingredients needed for each jar:

• Chile;
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• 2 glasses of water;
• 3 black peppercorns;
• 1-2 bay leaves;
• a bunch of dill;
• ? tsp salt;
• ? a glass of vinegar.

Work order:

1. Place finely chopped garlic in a jar.
2. Place peppers on top.
3. Add dill, black peppercorns and bay leaf.
4. Prepare a brine from water, vinegar and salt.
5. Pour the chili brine over it.
6. Sterilize for 10 minutes.
7. Roll up.

Another method for preserving peppers is on video:

Useful tips

When preparing chili peppers The following expert recommendations will help:

1. It is advisable to carry out all work related to hot pepper wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands. This is necessary so that juice that accidentally gets on the skin does not cause a burn.
2. Chili seeds left during preparation add spiciness to the vegetable.
3. Dried chili peppers can be ground not all at once, but in portions as needed. In this form, it does not fizzle out and will not lose its pungency.

Video on the topic of the article

About ways to store chili peppers - video:

Conclusion

Proper storage of chili peppers makes it possible to use this spicy vegetable all year round. If this vegetable is one of your favorite condiments and snacks, you can prepare it in various ways for the winter.