Preserving peppers is a great way to enjoy your summer bounty all year round. In this post, I’ll show you how to store peppers for both short and long term use.
Being overwhelmed by an over abundance of fresh peppers from the vegetable garden is a great problem to have.
But when you end up with more than you can possibly eat before they go bad (ummm… 15 gallons!?), it’s time to find ways to preserve and store peppers for later use.
In this guide for preserving peppers, I will walk you through all of my favorite methods for keeping them longer, and the benefits of each technique.
How To Store Peppers In The Refrigerator
Storing peppers in the fridge is a great way to save them for the short term. To keep them fresh as long as possible, put them in your crisper drawer.
Most types will last in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. I find that smaller ones start to shrivel several days before the larger ones.
Also keep in mind that green ones will last longer than ripe ones (e.g.: red, yellow, or orange).
If you won’t be able to use them up within a few weeks, then you’ll need to find a way to preserve peppers for the long term.
Related Post: How To Grow Peppers: The Ultimate Guide
How To Preserve & Store Peppers Longer
If you came looking for this, I’m sure you have way more than you can possibly use right away.
Fortunately, there are lots of ways to store peppers for winter use. Here are my favorite methods…
Canning Peppers
It’s not hard to can peppers, and there are a few ways you can do it. I prefer preserving them in water, but they can also be pickled.
If you want to try canning them in water, you will need a pressure canner. Don’t be intimidated, they aren’t as hard to use as it sounds.
If you don’t have a pressure canner, then try pickling them. You don’t need any special equipment for this method, and the process is similar to canning regular pickles.
How To Freeze Peppers
Freezing is another way to preserve all types of peppers, and it’s super easy. They’re great to have around to toss into recipes throughout the winter – I use them for everything.
This method is one of the fastest ways to preserve any variety, but make sure you have enough room for long term storage.
You can simply cut them in half, in fourths, or in strips, and remove the stem and seeds.
Put the pieces on a cookie sheet so they aren’t touching, then flash freeze for about 15-30 minutes. This will keep them from sticking together.
Once solid, you can store peppers in a baggie, or any other freezer safe container. Don’t forget to label your storage container so you know what they are later on.
Related Post: How To Prune Peppers For Maximum Production
How To Dry Peppers
The nice part about drying peppers is that you don’t need to worry about taking up precious freezer space. Plus, you can do this with any variety that you have.
Larger ones need to be cut up first, but you can leave smaller ones whole if you want to. Then simply pop them into your dehydrator, or put them into the oven on the lowest setting.
It can take several hours for them to dry completely. Keep in mind that the thicker the pepper, the longer this will take.
Related Post: How To Dry Cayenne Peppers In 4 Ways For Easy Storage
Fill Your Spice Rack
My favorite way to use up hot peppers is to make crushed red pepper flakes. It’s easy to do, and it’s just like the stuff they have at your favorite Italian restaurant.
I also like to grind other varieties (both sweet and hot) into powder to fill up my spice jars. You can easily make your own chili powder, or any other type of spice blend that you want.
How Long Do Peppers Last In Storage?
How long peppers will last in storage depends on the method you used to preserve them.
Canned ones will be good for a couple of years. But it’s best to replace your stock of dried or frozen ones annually.
Related Post: How To Grow Peppers From Seed
FAQs About Storing Peppers
Storing peppers is easy, and there are lots of options. But you might still have some questions, so below are answers to the ones I frequently get asked.
If you can’t find an answer here, ask your question in the comments below.
How long will peppers last unrefrigerated?
Unrefrigerated peppers can last up to one week on the counter before they start to shrivel. However, smaller ones don’t last that long.
So, for the best results, you should keep them in the refrigerator instead of leaving them out on the counter.
What is the best way to store peppers?
This depends on how you plan to use them, and how long you want to store peppers. They will last longer when canned, but this is also the most labor intensive. Using a few of the different methods above will give you the most options.
Preserving peppers is easy, and there are so many great ways to store them. Don’t be afraid to try something new each time. It’s a perfect way to bring a bit of your summer garden to your kitchen all year long.
If you’d like to learn how to make the most of your space and get as much homegrown food as possible, then my Vertical Vegetables book is perfect! It will teach you all you need to know, has tons of gorgeous photos, and includes 23 DIY projects you can build for your own garden. Order your copy today!
Learn more about my Vertical Vegetables book here.
More Food Preservation Posts
- How To Preserve Apples For Long Term
- 9 Easy Ways To Preserve Fresh Garden Herbs
- How To Store Apples For The Short & Long Term
- How To Freeze Herbs From The Garden
- How To Preserve & Store Fresh Parsley
- Freezing Corn On Or Off The Cob
- Freezing Spinach With Or Without Blanching
Share you tips for how to store peppers in the comments section below!
SeafoamJade says
When I buy 2 or 3 bell peppers, I always put them in a plastic produce bag and then store them in the fridge that way. BUT, I have always wondered if I was storing them the right way by doing that. Is it okay to store a few peppers in one plastic bag, or should each pepper be stored in its own separate plastic bag? TIA!
Amy Andrychowicz says
There’s no need to put fresh whole peppers into a plastic bag. In fact, I find that they get slimy or mold faster when I do that, so I just put them into my crisper drawer unwrapped. But to answer your question, you can put more than one into each bag. But you might want to leave the bag open or cut slits into it to allow the peppers to breath.
Iris says
I’ve searched and searched…..and your article is very nice and thorough, but I find that storing peppers in a plastic bag in the fridge, crisper or not, makes them slimy, as soon as one has been cut. Nothing I do can fix it except to wash it off, and get a new bag…wasteful. I have not tried storing them in the fridge in a paper bag. Any other suggestions? Nobody has addressed that issue yet! Thanks
Amy Andrychowicz says
Garden fresh peppers shouldn’t go bad that quickly in a plastic baggie. If they are from the grocery store, or are older peppers, then I could see that happening. But in that case, you should either store them whole, freeze them, or use them up right away, because there’s not much you can do to keep older peppers from getting slimy in the fridge like that. If you’re worried about the waste of using a baggie, then I recommend using a storage container instead. That way, you can just wash it and reuse it, rather than having the waste of single use plastic. Hope that helps.
Jimbo says
1) DO NOT CLOSE THE BAG. The produce must expel sulfur dioxide to not spoil. Closing the bags traps bad gas and accelerates spoilage.
2) Put a small piece of paper towel in the bag to absorb excess moisture condensing in the bag. Excess moisture accelerates spoilage.
3) Separate compromised produce from other produce. If it has a spot on it, keep it away from the perfect ones.
4) Place the bags in a spot in the fridge that keeps the food at 36 degrees. Lower leads to freezing, higher leads to rot, fluctuations lead to dehydration. .