Freeze Chili: The Best Tips and Tricks

Freeze chili whole or sliced

You can freeze chili peppers whole or cut into pieces.

• If you want to freeze the pods in one piece, remove the stalks, wash the chillies and dry them thoroughly with paper towels.
• It is best to freeze the pods spread out on a tray before putting them in freezer bags. Then the individual chillies do not freeze together and you can remove them individually.
• Alternatively, freeze chillies cut in half. This has the advantage that you can remove the cores in one go.
• If you also want to remove the skin from the pods, blanch the chillies briefly. To do this, place the pods in boiling water for a minute and then shock them in ice water.
• Tip: Always wear gloves when cutting chillies and be careful not to touch your face. Chili in the eye is extremely unpleasant.
• Put the halved or finely chopped chillies in portions in freezer bags or freezer boxes.

Use frozen chili

Chilies can be frozen for about a year. So don’t forget to write the freezing date on the freezer bag.

• You don’t need to thaw frozen chili. You can add them straight from the freezer to the saucepan with the dish you want to season with them.
• If you have frozen chili in one piece, you do not have to use a whole pod. The frozen chilies can be cut quite well. So cut off the amount you need and just put the rest back in the freezer.
• The longer chilies are frozen, the more they lose their aroma. You should take this into account, for example, if you make your own barbecue sauces with frozen chilies.