If you enjoy the extra hot sensation that comes from eating jalapeno peppers, you’ll understand why you’d want to keep a plentiful supply all year. However, it may not be possible if you grow them at home.
However, it doesn’t take long to look at can you freeze jalapenos because this could offer you a year-round supply from your garden to toss into your pot recipe. You can freeze fresh jalapeno peppers from the farmer’s market or your own garden to keep them fresh all year.
The shelf life of jalapenos can be extended from around a week to several months when you have frozen jalapeño peppers stashed in the freezer to use in any recipe and save money.
In our guide, you can learn more about how to preserve jalapenos. By the end, you will know enough to freeze them whole, freeze diced peppers ready for any recipe that contains jalapeños. (Learn Can You Freeze Cottage Cheese)
Do You Have To Blanch Jalapenos Before Freezing?
Jalapenos and other peppers belong to a category of veggies that don’t require blanching before freezing; this saves messing about with ice water and the rest of the process. You can freeze whole jalapenos, but your recipe results may not be up to your standard.
When you know how to store jalapeños and peppers for later use, keeping excess peppers is simple. Frozen jalapeños and other peppers keep well in the freezer to be used in several meals, from stuffed peppers to tacos.
Freezing jalapenos is simple, and now you know how to freeze jalapenos, you might wonder what other peppers you can freeze.
Here’s a few other hot peppers that can be frozen.
- Serranos
- Chili peppers
- Bell peppers
- Poblano peppers
- Habaneros
Peppers can risk losing texture and heat through freezing, yet you can minimize this following the right freezing process.
Many dishes that use peppers often use onions. Can you freeze onions, you may ask? Yes, you can freeze onions, although freezing onions isn’t the best way to keep them fresh.
Here are a few tips to get the best from your frozen and thawed jalapenos.
Use the Best Jalapenos
Choosing the correct peppers to freeze is the first step. Don’t use rotten or squishy jalapenos to freeze because they won’t hold up properly.
Those with flaws and holes are also bad. Instead, use fresh, ripe, and healthy jalapenos to keep more of their great texture and flavor after freezing.
After defrosting, even fresh jalapenos lose structure and soften. Checking for wrinkles or black spots on your jalapenos helps them keep their form. (Read Can You Freeze Mozzarella Cheese)
Disinfect Freezing Jalapenos
Cleaning jalapeño pepper with water and vinegar is the next step before freezing them. Rinsing removes dirt and filth from your garden, and vinegar kills bacteria to keep your jalapenos fresher longer.
- ½ cup of vinegar
- 1 ½ cups of water
Add these to a bowl to disinfect your jalapenos. If you use them to make stuffed peppers, slice them on one side and remove all the seeds. If not, leave them whole.
Rinse in clean, cool water, and dry and remove stems or stalks.
Chop or Slice Jalapenos for Freezing
Tossing whole jalapenos on a baking sheet or in a bag simplifies the process. To prepare jalapeno peppers for later usage, first cut them up into the desired size. Handling jalapeño peppers requires you to wear gloves before cutting. The juice burns your palms and can get into your eyes if you’re not careful.
Flash freezing jalapenos is the best way to freeze them. Flash freezing employs high temperatures to freeze peppers properly. Prepare a cookie sheet with a single layer of jalapenos.
Instead, wash and remove the seeds. Chop your jalapenos and add sliced peppers to ice cube trays. After a few hours, put your frozen peppers in ziplock bags to prevent freezer burn. You can easily take these out to use directly in a cooked dish.
What Is The Best Way To Store Jalapeno Peppers?
You don’t need to go through all these steps to freeze your peppers. You can skip blanching and flash freezing and just put your fresh peppers in freezer bags.
However, including these steps is a great way to get the best and extend the shelf-life of your food. Most green peppers freeze without going through all the steps.
Before sealing your jalapenos in freezer containers, be sure that all the air has been sucked out of the bag. If you don’t have access to a vacuum sealer, try sucking out all the air with a straw to create an impermeable barrier.
To make individual servings, chop and freeze jalapeños in an ice cube tray. After that, please place them in a freezer bag. 2 tablespoons of fresh diced jalapenos are equivalent to each cube.
How Do You Store Fresh Jalapenos Long-Term?
Sliced jalapenos should be refrigerated, whereas whole jalapenos can be kept at room temperature. Refrigerate entire peppers if not eating them in two to three days. Whole jalapenos keep for up to a week in the fridge.
Picking them fresh during harvest season and freezing them ensures year-round availability for use in many recipes. (Learn How To Grow Jalapenos From Seeds)
To freeze jalapenos, pluck them fresh during picking season. Rinse them with lukewarm water, then slice off the tops and slice them into rings.
Freeze sliced jalapeños in freezer bags until you’re ready to use them.
Frozen jalapenos keep for up to 2 years, so can you freeze jalapenos is a huge yes.
However, they alter texture but keep flavor. Their texture softens when frozen. if you want to feel the fresh crunch of the jalapeños, there is little point in freezing jalapenos.
Freezing Store Jalapenos
If your local grocery store or farm stand has freshly grown jalapenos, grab a bunch and freeze them like you would garden-fresh jalapenos. However, check for dark spots and thoroughly wash them to remove pesticides, chemicals, and microorganisms.
Freezing Canned Jalapenos
If you open a can of jalapenos and don’t consume them all, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
To avoid deterioration or bacterial contamination, you must freeze them immediately after opening the can.
Freezing Bottled Jalapenos
Open a jar of jalapenos and place the remaining peppers and juice into a freezer container. Freeze for up to 6 months. To defrost, place the container in your refrigerator for a day. Then you can use your jalapeños for any recipe you choose.
Defrost Frozen Jalapenos?
To defrost your freshly frozen jalapenos, simply remove a bag from the freezer and place it in your refrigerator for an hour or two. You can also thaw frozen peppers in a basin of cool water for 30 minutes.
You may use them frozen for baked nachos, chilies, and casseroles. Cooking them makes them soft and spicy.
To defrost canned or bottled jalapenos, simply move them from the freezer to the fridge. Thaw jalapenos for several hours or overnight. Once thawed, the jalapenos are ready to use and toss into your pot recipe.
Does Freezing Jalapenos Make Them Less Spicy?
You might question if you can freeze jalapeno peppers if you have a significant harvest or an excess of them. It’s almost as easy as it sounds to freeze jalapeño peppers.
It is best to use frozen peppers while frozen for cooking, as with stir-fries, soups, stews, and other dishes that used diced jalapenos, they keep the flavor. If you need a softer pepper for omelets or jalapeno poppers, defrost your jalapenos first.
It’s even easier to thaw frozen jalapenos than it is to freeze them. Simply remove the peppers from the freezer bag and defrost them on a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture. Return the leftover jalapenos to the freezer after resealing the bag and removing any excess air.
Once your peppers have reached room temperature, you can use them as you would fresh peppers. The disadvantage is that thawed peppers can be limp and mushy instead of crisp. However, no matter what the recipes, they keep the heat and flavor profile!
Here are some ideas on how to use frozen jalapeños:
- A stir-fry with jalapenos has a good kick to it. For rapid use, thaw a few peppers or throw them in the pan frozen.
- Fresh salsa can be made with frozen jalapenos. Just make sure the peppers are thawed and dried before cutting for the salsa.
- Add jalapenos to a red sauce or oil-based pasta meal to boost spice and flavor.
Freezing peppers keep the heat levels intact, so jalapenos lose nearly no capsaicin. This makes freezing peppers ideal for future use in hot sauce or spicing foods.
This is a tricky question. Any frozen food will lose flavor with time, but adequately frozen food will take a long time to degrade. (Read Can You Freeze Rosemary)
You shouldn’t notice any flavor loss if you eat your jalapenos within six months. If your peppers have freezer burn, your storage strategy is flawed. Keep your freezer closed to avoid moisture on your frozen peppers.
