Blanching Green Peppers for Freezing

It is unfortunate that most of my garden produce is coming to a halt as the growing season is ending. The tomatoes, corn, cucumbers and zucchini have run their course with only the broccoli and peppers remaining.  On that note, there were four robust size peppers that were recently picked along with a few jalapenos. As we did not plan on using these peppers anytime soon, I decided it would be best prepare them for freezer storage for later use.  In prior years, we keep a bag of frozen peppers available for soups, stews, pizzas, and chili. Even if they aren’t home grown, it is good to stock up on them when they go on sale at the store during peak season.

Since these peppers are going into cooked dishes, they require a blanching process which is very simple. Blanching is an extreme hot water/cold water shock to the food that allows for flavor and appearance to remain preserved when the item is store in frozen state. I have done blanching with not only peppers, but also broccoli and green beans.

Blanching Green Peppers

First I get warm a pot of water to a boiling point. Then I cut the peppers in half and remove stem and seeds.  The peppers are cut again in long strips.

Once the water is boiling, the peppers are placed into hot bath for two minutes. When time is up, place the peppers in a bowl of ice water and let them cool for a few minutes.

Remove the peppers from ice water and place on paper towel and pat dry.


Place the peppers in freezer safe storage bag, write date on bag, and then freeze for later use. 

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