Many housewives often ask if freeze bitter pepper for the winterOr it’s enough to go to the store and buy this plain vegetable without bothering with preparations.
Firstly, in the cold period of the year its price is quite high, and secondly, we do not know the conditions under which it was stored and whether everything remained in it valuable substances.
There are several ways to prepare hot pepper for storage for the winter, the most popular of which is drying. However, most of the vitamins contained in it decompose after a few days.
On our website you can find information on how to properly dry Bulgarian sweet peppers, as well as recipes for drying them at home.
Beta carotene and B group vitamins collapse at room temperature and from exposure to sunlight, and fat-soluble A and E are oxidized from exposure to atmospheric oxygen. The loss of water hardly affects the taste, but the appearance will change irreversibly.
Advantages of the method
Is it possible to freeze hot peppers for the winter in the freezer?
Does hot pepper lose its properties after freezing? With this method of preparation loss of useful properties of the product will be minimal. The advantages of chilli pepper freezing:
- Preservation all vitamins, nutrients and minerals.
- Immutability taste.
- Reducing waste. Frozen peppers, unlike pickled and dried does not spoil and does not even change its color.
- Long shelf life. All properties remain unchanged. about a year.
Preparatory operations
How to freeze the hot pepper for the winter? One of the main conditions for the success of the whole process is considered to be the correct preparation of hot peppers for freezing. To begin, it must be carefully examined to prevent entry. spoiled pods in the workpiece. After that, the peppers are washed whole in cold water and dried on a towel.
For some decrease in sharpness the product can be held. in boiling water 2 - 3 minutes. Such processing practically does not reduce the content of fat-and water-soluble vitamins, but will significantly increase the shelf life during shallow freezing.
Cutting pods into strips or stringing them together save space in the chamber. When working with the product, it is advisable to protect your hands with ordinary medical or household rubber gloves.
Ways
There are several ways to freeze chilli peppers. First you need to decide on freezing depth and temperature storage. The fact is that Chile is 88% water and the processes that occur during its crystallization play a decisive role in its preservation.
The crystallization of water occurs at 0 ° C, and with a further decrease in temperature to -5 ° C ice forms. Unlike other substances, water in frozen form does not decrease in volume, but on the contrary, increases.
As a result of the transition through these critical points during the subsequent defrosting, the integrity of the pepper cells is violated; becomes soft and wet, although it does not lose its beneficial properties.
For maximum preservation of the appearance of hot peppers frozen to a temperature of 0 ... + 2 ° С and stored in the refrigerator in the appropriate area.
In such conditions, all its properties remain unchanged. within 40 days.
If priority is given to the duration, then you should deep-freeze and keep in the freezer at -12 ... -18 ° C.
How to freeze hot peppers for the winter? Most common received the following methods of freezing:
- Instant. Chopped paprika thinly laid out on a pallet, which is placed in the compartment for freezing. After that, the product is placed in a plastic bag from which air is removed as much as possible, and placed in a storage compartment.
- In container. The pods are placed in the food container or a special bag with a clasp as a whole, and then placed in the freezer.
- In oil. Prepared pods tightly placed in a glass jar, pour refined vegetable oil and sent to the chamber with a temperature of about 0 ° C. This method prevents the penetration of atmospheric oxygen into the product. Oil can be used for salad dressing, but it should be borne in mind that its taste properties will change somewhat.
- With greens. Finely chopped hot peppers mixed with celery or parsley, placed in a bag and sent to the freezer. The advantage of this method is the possibility of separating part of the product, necessary for cooking, without thawing the entire portion.
Read also on our website about the storage of Bulgarian pepper for the winter, including how to freeze sweet peppers and about the features of freezing it entirely for stuffing.
Chilli compatible with almost any product: it is even added to chocolate.
In its significance and usefulness, it is on a par with carrots, green tea, blueberries and apples.
The most important thing with its use - don't overdo it with quantity.
