Freezing peppers is a great way to preserve your chili pepper harvest. Learn how to freeze peppers of any kind so you can enjoy them all year long.
How to Freeze Peppers
Freezing peppers is a good idea if you have a large crop and want to save them for later use. You don't have to cook your chili peppers before freezing, although you can skin or peel them if desired.
Just keep in mind that after you thaw them, the skins usually come right off easily.
You can freeze any type of chili pepper this way, including freezing bell peppers, freezing jalapeno peppers, even the hottest of the superhot chili peppers.
How to Freeze Peppers - Step by Step
- First, select fresh peppers that show no signs of rot.
- Wash the peppers clean, then dry them completely.
- Slice the peppers open and remove the stems. Remove the seeds and membrane, if desired.
- Chop the peppers if you'd like, or you can freeze them whole.
- Transfer the peppers to freezer bags and remove as much air as possible.
- Set the peppers into the freezer. Use as needed.
Some people like to blanch their peppers before freezing, but it is not necessary. If you'd like to blanch your peppers, however, simply set your sliced peppers into boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, cool and dry them, then freeze as needed.
Tips for Freezing Peppers
You can remove the seeds and membrane from the peppers if you'd like by scraping them out with a spoon, or keep them in if you'd like. Most of the heat from most peppers is held within the whitish interior, so choose accordingly.
You can also set out your chopped or whole fresh peppers onto a baking sheet and set it into the freezer before bagging. Then, once they are frozen, transfer them to freezer-safe bags and seal them up.
Safety Tip
It is recommended to wear gloves when handling hot chili peppers. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili peppers hot, is an oil that can get onto your skin and cause a burning sensation. Gloves will protect you from the burn.
If you do feel the burning sensation, wash your hands thoroughly. There are many methods to help. Learn more about how to stop the chili pepper burn.
How Long Do Frozen Peppers Last?
One you freeze chili peppers, it is recommended they be consumed within 6 months to maintain best quality.
After about 6 months, they start to lose quality and may suffer from freezer burn.
How to Thaw Frozen Peppers
To thaw frozen peppers, simply remove the amount you need from the freezer and let them come to room temperature.
It is good to freeze them in portions that you normally use, but if you freeze them in a very large bag, they should break apart fairly easily so you can keep the unneeded portion frozen.
Using Frozen Peppers - How to Cook with Frozen Peppers
Cooking with frozen peppers is easy. Simply thaw a portion of them required for your recipe and use them as you would fresh peppers.
They will most likely be softer, however, than fresh peppers, so consider this for the recipe you are making.
Cook them into anything from soups and stews, stir fries and more.
Frozen peppers can be used to make sauces and hot sauces, and they can also be dehydrated without issue to make powders and seasoning blends.
See my post on How to Cook with Frozen Peppers for further information.
Can You Refreeze Thawed Peppers or Vegetables That Have Been Previously Frozen?
According to FoodSafety.gov, you can safely refreeze thawed or partially thawed food if it still contains ice crystals or at 40 °F or below. Partially thawing and refreezing them, however, may negatively affect the food quality. But, they will be safe to eat.
Enjoy!
Further Pepper Preservation and Information
See below for other information to help you with your chili pepper harvest. There are answers to some of the most common questions I receive on the site.
Judith Garrard says
I am planting many varieties of peppers I can hardly wait
Kevin says
Hi, great advice however, I have a bag of frozen chillies and when I took out a couple to use I found that the seeds were black. Can you explain why this would be and is it safe to use them. Thank you.
Mike Hultquist says
Kevin, the pepper was starting to go bad before it was frozen. The seeds inside start to turn black, then the pepper softens and starts to decay. Often you can scrape out any black seeds, but if you see other signs of rot/decay, I would toss it.
Roberto Efrain Ruiz Ruiz says
My wife bought frozen escabeche whole yellow chilis in the market and I put the seeds on water for 3 weeks; when all the seeds were on the bottom of the glass I put them in pots with premium potting mix and chicken manure; the seeds already have 120 days in the pots and did not germinate. My question is "Frozen seeds do not germinate??
Mike H. says
Roberto, seeds that have been frozen may lose their ability to germinate, especially if they were not stored in optimal conditions. Freezing seeds can be a method of preservation, but it has to be done carefully to avoid damaging the seed's viability.
Lisa says
What are your thoughts on using white vinegar or apple cider vinegar?
Mike Hultquist says
Yep, you can do that. It's more like a sambal or a paste. Works great.
Rebecca H says
I'm in Florida and extended power loss, due to a hurricane, is a very real consideration. I've been lucky, but I also have a coworker who lost power for *weeks* after Hurricane Irma.
Needless to say, I'm not going to trust my freezer to store my entire annual crop. 😛
I've got a gallon bag dedicated to yellow/orange hot peppers (each type tucked into quart baggies) and another of reds. As each bag hits "overflow", peppers are removed and set up be preserved as jellies/jams, hot sauces, pickles, or into the dehydrator.
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, dehydration is a very smart way to preserve your harvest. Thanks, Rebecca.
Traci says
Happy canning Rebecca. I love to can and the rewards in the winter are so worth it.
Ken Puett says
Hi Mike, what tips do you have for Freeze Drying peppers..
Mike Hultquist says
Ken, I currently do not have a freeze dryer, but I hope to look into it!
Paul says
Freezing is a fantastic way of having your crop of grown chillis all year round ,I like to slice my jalapeño s ,padrons and scotch bonnets and put in clear zip freezer bags and use on pizzas, nachos or in chillis .. I tried freezer containers but the chillis became a bit of a block the bags work better for breaking them up before getting them out of the bag .
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks for sharing, Paul!
Chris says
I have red sweet chilli peppers but that stay green are they safe to eat
Mike Hultquist says
Chris, yes, green (unripened) peppers are safe to eat, they just taste more raw/unripe.
Jonh says
Why do you need to slice and remove seeds before you freeze?
Mike Hultquist says
You don't have to. Only if desired. I do not.
Wayne Hatfield says
Can you thaw and ferment them?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes, Wayne, though you may need a fermentation starter, or add some fresh pods to help things get going.
Chuck says
I freeze lots of my chilies. For the nice big hatch-types I roast them first on the grill. Others I just leave as is. I can only use so many at a time and breaking a mass of chilies apart for what I need is a pain. I lay the roasted chilies on a parchment paper covered tray and freeze them. Then I can pull them off the parchment paper and put them in sealable bags. They stay separate and I can easily take as many out of the bag as needed. I also vacuum seal many but, again, freeze them first. This keeps the chilies from being squished in the vacuum process.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks for contributing your experience, Chuck! Much appreciated.
Traci says
Thanks for the tips.
Cam says
I've been freezing peppers for several years and have found that if vacumn sealed, they will last up to 4 years before flavor begins to change. I buy Hatch peppers every year, have them roasted then I peel them, seed and place whole ones between sheets of wax paper so I can remove as many as I need and reseal the bag. Also, l chop about half of them and put 1/2 cup to 1 cup in muffin tins, freeze then remove and seal. Ready to use and they thaw quickly if needed.
My mom always planted a row at least 30 ft long with peppers every year and I grew them in a 4'x18' bed so, I always had a lot of peppers to can or freeze. Your recipes are some of my favorites. Thank you for them.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks for the input, Cam. We also use a vacuum sealer for many things and they do help frozen foods last much longer without freezer damage.
Barb says
Thanks Chili Pepper Mike! Bang on time! ️️️
Jordan says
How does freezing effect the weight used in the recipes? I didn’t weigh my yield before freezing. Should I just let them though and then start my recipe? Thanks
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jordan, it really shouldn't make a difference. I would just thaw and continue with the recipe. Enjoy.
Mark Lyons says
Hi Mike... I’m a grower of the wonderful ghost chilli and have been asked to make up 250 small bottles of chilli oil for a clients wedding early June 2021. I’ve started freezing them and was thinking of defrosting early May 2021 then letting them dry for 2-3 weeks then mixing them with a good olive oil. Does that sound about right? Open to any advice and tips. Many thanks
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Mark, this should work fine, but you may want to look into using a dehydrator for the drying. You'll minimize any risk of rot with the soggy peppers.
Mark Lyons says
Hi... quick Chilli Pepper question... I grow the wonderful Ghost chilli (I’m a professional gardener) and I’ve been asked to make 250 small bottles of chilli oil for the family I work for. It’s for their daughters wedding next year. I’ve started freezing the chillies in preparation. The weddings early June 2021 so I was thinking of starting to defrost beginning of May then drying them for approx 3 weeks then adding them to the oil in a big container for a week then decanting them straight after.... sound about right? Any advice gratefully received!.... many thanks everyone
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Mark. Yes, I think that would work just fine. What drying process are you using? My only caution would be to make sure the air is dry enough to avoid any rotting, which can happen if there is too much moisture in the air. This can be a particular issue from frozen pods, which will be more water logged when thawed. I use a dehydrator, which is the most effective. Something to consider. Please let me know how it goes. Good luck!
Jody says
Hi MIke:
I just bought your book, The Spicy Food Lover's Cookbook, and I LOVE it. I can't want to try the recipes. And the pictures of the food are amazing, kudos to the photographer Patty!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much, Jody! I hope you enjoy the book!!
Danne says
I have a bunch of jalapenos that I would like to keep but I'm not able to preserve them by any of the methods you talk about. My thoughts are to run them through the blender, seeds and all, add some lime juice to make it a slurry consistency and then pour that into ice cube trays. Once frozen, individually wrap the cubes and store in the freezer and then use as needed in dishes like chili. Is there any reason why that wouldn't work?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Danne, that would work just fine. I do the same method to freeze sofrito, which isn't far off from what you're describing. This is great method for saving the peppers. Let me know how it goes. Enjoy!
Amber Clark says
I just did a google search and found this page... hope someone can help me.
I froze some fresh jalapeños from my garden - they were all picked well before they got too mature, so I know that they had not started to rot or anything. The problem though, is this....
I took them out and thawed them in the fridge over night, then a after I sliced them up, I saw that the seeds in ALL 30 of them have turned brown! Is this normal after freezing whole peppers? I want to pickle them... but are they still alright to eat even though all the seeds have turned brown? Thank you in advance for your help!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Amber, the seeds/innards had already started to turn brown before you froze them. FYI. If you see any other signs on rot on the peppers, you can toss them out or cut that part away. If you feel the peppers are OK, you can just scoop out the innards and pickle the outer flesh. But if you feel there is just too much rot, toss them out.
Ferozs says
How do I get the crunch back from frozen jalapeños.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Ferozs, that's a tough one. Once they freeze, they soften up. I really don't know of a good way to do that. Sorry.