This week I would like to share some of my favorite time-saving freezer kitchen tips with you. Today’s tip is how to chop and freeze green peppers.

Even though I am a good cook, I don’t really like to cook, so I have found lots of little ways to make prep a little easier by doing the work ahead of time and then just pulling things right out of the freezer ready to go.  And because I have 3 teenagers who are always hungry, any way I can find to make cooking faster and save some money by buying meat and produce in bulk is a good thing in my book!

Yesterday’s post was on how to freeze ground beef, but today, I’d like to share how easy and economical it is to freeze green peppers.

So, you never want to see a stuffed green pepper again?

You got a great deal at the Farmer’s Market or a bumper crop from this season’s garden and now you are drowning in green peppers and don’t know what to do with them all? Or is it the middle of winter and you miss the fresh taste of those peppers from your summer garden?

Did you know bell peppers freeze really well?  They do!  And it is easy to do.

I had a bumper crop of green peppers last summer, and I still had quite a few after giving away as many as I could.  I sure didn’t want them to go to waste, but also didn’t want to have green peppers at every meal, either! So, here’s how to keep them tasty and ready to go for recipes for up to 6 months!

Wash and dry them.

I use a drop of Dawn dish soap in my hands, lather up and wash my peppers using my hands. I find I can get into all the folds and grooves better that way.  Then rinse the peppers thoroughly and dry.  Don’t worry, there is no soap residue, so you won’t taste it.  Honest!  You can see in the picture I already cut out a bruised spot on one of the peppers.

Chop them up.

I use chopped peppers in lots of recipes, including omelettes, quiche, soups, and stir fry, so I’m like Goldilocks.  I don’t like them too small or too big.  Just right. Be your own Goldilocks and chop them to suit your style! (And like Goldilocks, I had to switch from my wood cutting board (too small) to my bigger glass one to do all the chopping 😉

Bonus: Save and plant the seeds to grow more peppers!

Bag them up.

In the picture above, I used a gallon size zip-top bag for my 4 peppers. By the way, I find I don’t need to use bags specifically made for the freezer.  Regular strength ones work just fine, and I just keep adding more chopped peppers to the same bag as it gets low. Just make sure it stays tightly sealed so the peppers don’t get freezer burn.

Pop them in the freezer.

I have read in other places about laying all the pieces out on a cookie sheet and freezing them that way so they don’t stick together, but, honestly, I’ve rarely had an issue with that.  When I first put the bag in the freezer, I do try to lay it somewhat flat, but once they are frozen, I store the bag upright in the door of my freezer. Occasionally, a clump will form, but in that case, I just knead them with my fingers through the bag and they pop right apart.

So, there you go!  Lots of fresh green pepper taste year round, ready for your recipes when you are.

Here is one of my family’s favorite recipes using green peppers: Kielbasa and “buttered” Parmesan noodles. It sounds pretty fattening, but actually it is pretty healthy since I use turkey kielbasa, fresh veggies, and Brummel and Brown margarine (made with yogurt) instead of butter.

Kielbasa and Parmesan noodles

So, I hope you find this green pepper freezer kitchen tip helpful.  Stay tuned for some more tips later this week.

Do you have any time-saving tricks of your own?  I’d love to hear about them!

~Pam

P.S. Looking for some yummy desserts? Fill out the form below to get a free downloadable copy of recipes for my 10 favorite easy desserts!