Steps for Freezing
- Remove the stems, seeds and whitish inner membranes from the peppers.
- Cut the peppers according to your cooking style―if you usually make recipes that call for chopped peppers, cut them into approximately 1/2-inch pieces. Or slice them if pepper strips (like for stir-fries) are more commonly on the ingredient list. Or do a little of both. This way, they are ready to use when you take them out of the freezer.
- Spread the cut peppers in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. This step (called flash freezing) ensures that the pieces remain loose rather than clumping together, and makes it possible for you to scoop out just what you need later on.
- Transfer the frozen pepper pieces to freezer bags or airtight containers. Label the bags or containers with the date (and variety of pepper if you like).
- The peppers will keep for up to a year, but their quality is best if used within 6 months.