How to Freeze Bell Peppers for Later Use

Every year I plant 6-12 bell pepper plants in my backyard garden and I’m never disappointed with how well they grow here in our area. When I have an abundance of bell peppers, I like to chop them up and freeze them for later use. Unlike other vegetables, you don’t have to blanch peppers before freezing them. In addition, once you’re ready to use them, you don’t have to thaw them out which saves you a lot of time in the food prep department.

Once you’re ready to use them, they’re best in omelet recipes, fried quesadillas, baked burritos, various soups & stews, tossed into your meatloaf, into your taco meat filling, stir-fry’s, etc. You don’t want to thaw them out and toss them on a salad, because their texture is different than fresh. I don’t use them in potato salads, coleslaw or macaroni salads either.

Here’s How to Freeze Your Bell Peppers

Thoroughly wash them under cool running water and lay them on a towel while you continue washing the rest of them. I find it best to do all of my chopping on a glass cutting board, but you can use whatever board that you have.

Cut around the stem and remove it. Pull out all of the inside membranes and seeds. Rinse the inside with cool running water to help make sure all membranes & seeds have been removed.

Lay it onto your cutting board and slice it in half long-wise. You can then cut it into strips or chop them into small pieces. I do them both ways and label mine appropriately. Once done, pat them dry with a few paper towels to absorb any excess moisture that is on them.

Using a spatula or a large spoon, spread all of the strips or chopped pieces out in a single layer in a glass baking dish or on a baking sheet. Place into the freezer for 45 to 60 minutes. You want them to start freezing which will help them from sticking together after you place them into a freezer container or bag.

I remove mine from the freezer and measure out 2 cup portions. I then place those 2 cups into a plastic zipper closure freezer bag and label them with the contents. Example: 2 Cups Diced Bell Pepper or 2 Cups Bell Pepper Strips. I also mark the date that I processed them. Make sure you purge out any air that is in your freezer bag, seal and freeze. You can get into your bag or container and grab out as much that you need at that given time. You don’t have to use all of it at once!

Ready for the Freezer

Freezing Whole Bell Peppers

A lot of people tell you that you can’t freeze whole bell peppers, but I do! Sure, their texture is different once thawed, but I only use them when I make & bake stuffed green peppers. Here’s how I do them.

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Wash them thoroughly. Cut out the stem and remove the seeds and membranes. Rinse them under cool running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Place them in a glass baking dish and put them in the freezer for 1 hour to start the freezing process. Remove and pat them dry again with paper towels if you see any ice crystals forming. Place 6-8 pepper shells into a freezer bag or freezer container. Purge out as much air as you can. Label and freeze.

Bagged & Ready to Freeze

When I use the shells to make my stuffed green peppers, I remove them from the freezer and stuff them right away with my filling. I then start preheating my oven and once preheated, I then put them in to bake. I like them to sit for 15-20 minutes at room temperature with the filling in them before I start the baking process. While the slightly soft texture might bother some people, it doesn’t bother us since we’re baking & roasting them in the oven which softens them up too. With that said, if you do this…you do so at your own risk as I don’t want to be responsible if you don’t like the texture.