This guide will teach you how to freeze chillies. You can freeze them whole or prepare and cut them first. Freezing chili peppers is so easy and they will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. There is no need to blanch them before freezing, you can simply freeze them fresh.
If you are like me, when you buy chili peppers you always end up buying too many. Instead of letting those chillies go to waste, you can freeze them and use them at a later date. This step-by-step guide will teach you how to freeze chillies easily. These freezing methods work for all types of chillies including jalapeño chili peppers, red chillies, green chillies, orange chillies and yellow chillies.
Table of Contents
Three ways to freeze chili peppers:
1. To freeze chillies whole:
This is the easiest way to freeze chillies. Simply put the chillies in freezer safe plastic bags or other airtight containers. One tip is to make sure that the chillies are completely dry before freezing them, so if you clean them first be sure to dry them. This will prevent ice from building up on the chillies. I also like to label the plastic bags with the date I froze them so that I can use the oldest ones first when I pull them from the freezer.
2. To freeze prepared chili peppers:
First prepare the chillies by cutting the stems off of them. If you are using larger chili peppers you can also remove the seeds and the membranes. Then place the prepared chili peppers onto a baking sheet and place the tray in the freezer. After a few hours place the frozen chillies into freezer safe plastic bags and place them back in the freezer to be stored.
3. To freeze cut chili peppers:
There are a couple ways you can freeze cut chili peppers:
- Lay the cut chili peppers out on a baking sheet and place the tray into the freezer. Once frozen, place the chillies into plastic bags and put the bags back into the freezer.
- You can freeze them in ice cube trays. To do this, place a few pieces of chopped chili peppers into each ice cube tray mold, and then fill the tray with water. Freeze the ice cubes, and once they are completely frozen, take the cubes from the trays and put them into plastic bags. When you are ready to use them, take one or two cubes and either thaw them or add them directly to the dish you are cooking.
How to thaw frozen chili peppers:
To thaw the frozen peppers, simply remove them from the freezer and let them come to room temperature.
How to use frozen chili peppers:
To cook with the frozen chillies simply thaw them and then use them as you would fresh chili peppers. If you are using them to make hot dishes such as soups or stews you can simply put the frozen peppers into the recipe and let them cook with the rest of the ingredients.
Tips:
- Be sure the peppers are completely dry before you freeze them.
- Make sure you remove the air from the plastic bags before they go into the freezer.
- You should wear gloves with handling the chili peppers. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili peppers spicy, is an oil that can get onto your skin and cause a burning sensation and the gloves will prevent this from happening.
- Label the plastic bags with the date before you freeze them so you know how long each bag has been in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions:
Nope! I don't know where this myth came from but you don't have to worry. Freezing chillies won't change how they taste or their heat level.
Typically between 3 and 6 months. After 6 months, they start to lose quality and may get freezer burnt.
Yep! There is no need to blanch chilli peppers before freezing them. You can simply freeze them fresh.
Other posts you will want to read:
Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips!
Our expertise:
Dr. Erin Carter, MD, FRCPC, is a physician with board certifications in internal medicine and rheumatology. She is passionate about nutrition, environmental health and low toxicity living and has been doing research and publishing information in this area for years. She is also a self-trained chef and has been creating and publishing recipes since 2015. Her recipes have been featured on many different websites and online publications.
zidane
very clear and good article easy to understand. Thank you
Erin Carter
Thanks for reading!