Where and how to store bell peppers for the winter: fresh, frozen, dried, dried and canned

Bulgarian (sweet) peppers do not bypass any home during the ripening season. Everyone's favorite bright, juicy vegetable is added to hundreds of first and second courses. Salads, soups, sauces, lecho, stuffed peppers, grilled vegetables, stews - all these dishes are given freshness, aroma and vitamins by sweet peppers.

How to preserve bell peppers for the winter at home? You will find a detailed answer to this question in our article.

Varieties of bell peppers suitable for long-term storage

First, let's figure out which vegetable is suitable for long-term storage. Bell pepper is unique in its composition. In particular, the content of vitamin C in it exceeds the amount of this compound in citrus fruits and black currants.

Sweet peppers also contain vitamins B1, B2, B6, PP. This vegetable is rich in minerals, such as:

• iodine;
• phosphorus;
• potassium;
• sodium;
• magnesium;
• zinc;
• iron;
• calcium.

Attention! Eating bell pepper strengthens the immune system and increases hemoglobin levels, preventing the occurrence of anemia.

Sweet peppers are divided into several types:

• early ripening;
• mid-season;
• late ripening.

Which variety is better to choose for long-term storage? Late-ripening varieties are more suitable for long-term storage. They ripen between August and October and are highly resistant to cold and heat.

The following varieties are classified as late ripening:

• Gladiator;
• Aristotle F1;
• Black Cardinal;
• Bell;
• Gorogled 6;
• Bulgarian Round;
• Large yellow;
• Night F1;
• Hottabych F1;
• Ruby;
• Albatross F1;
• Capro F1;
• Paris F1.

Bell peppers are also divided into thick-walled and thin-walled types of fruits. Thick-walled varieties of this vegetable are juicy and meaty. The fruits of such peppers significantly exceed the weight of thin-walled varieties.

If you collect sweet peppers from your garden, you should know a few harvesting secrets for better preservation of the product.

Peculiarities of pepper collection for better preservation

Interesting! The fruits of bell peppers are divided into “male” and “female”. If in front of you is a vegetable with three chambers, it is a “male” fruit, if there are four chambers, it is a “female” fruit. Peppers with four chambers are considered sweeter; they are used fresh, for salads and for decorating dishes. The three-chamber one is harder, it is suitable for preparing dishes that require heat treatment.

To properly harvest sweet peppers, you need to know that they come in two degrees of maturity:

1. Technical maturity is a slightly unripe vegetable.
2. Biological maturity – a fully mature vegetable.

It is recommended to cut fruits for long-term storage at the technical level of ripeness. You should also be careful when cutting the vegetable from the bush: use pruners or scissors so as not to damage the fruit. Have time to remove all the fruits from the bushes before the first frost. Frozen fruit is not suitable for long-term storage.

Fresh storage

Keeping sweet peppers fresh is the best decision. Thanks to this storage, they retain their taste and do not lose their beneficial properties.

Features of storing fresh bell peppers

For fresh storage, it is necessary to collect the fruits at a technical degree of ripeness.

Please note that before storing, be sure to sort out all the peppers cut from the bushes. The surface of the fruit should not be damaged: check that the skin of each fruit is dense, smooth and without signs of rot.

The stalk should be green and hard, its tip should be dry without blackening or rot.

Attention! When stored fresh, bell peppers must have the stalk attached.

Influence of humidity, temperature and lighting

An important condition during storage is maintaining the humidity and temperature in the room where the workpiece is stored. The temperature should not exceed 10-12 °C. Air humidity is 80-90%, provided there is good ventilation and no direct sunlight.

Monitor all these indicators very carefully, since low humidity causes the fruits to wilt. If there is poor ventilation in the room, the fruits will rot. The low room temperature causes dark spots to appear on the peppers.

Storing peppers in the refrigerator

Storing pepper fruits in the refrigerator is less durable; in this way, the vegetable lasts only 3-4 weeks.

The product is stored in the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment. To do this, wipe the prepared fruits with a damp towel, but do not wash them. Place the pureed vegetables in a plastic bag, after making holes in it, tie it and place it in the refrigerator.

When storing crops in the refrigerator, you may encounter the problem of condensation. To avoid spoiling the product during storage, wrap each fruit in paper and place it in the vegetable storage compartment.

In the cellar and basement

To store fresh paprika in the basement or cellar, you need to prepare wooden boxes. Place dry, clean paper on the bottom of these boxes.Place the vegetable fruits in one layer so that they do not touch each other, and cover with a layer of river sand or sawdust on top. Do no more than 2-3 layers in the box.

In this state, vegetables collected at a technical degree of maturity are stored for 4-5 months. If you decide to preserve a product collected at botanical maturity in this way, it will be suitable for consumption for up to 2 months.

Dried storage

Drying is one of the best ways to store sweet peppers for a long time. With this type of preparation, a minimal amount of vitamins and beneficial microelements is lost. Dried peppers can be stored for up to 12 months, that is, until the next harvest.

Vegetables are dried in several ways: in the fresh air, in an electric dryer and in the oven.

Rules for drying peppers

When starting the drying process, first select fresh fruits without signs of rotting or other defects.

Rinse the selected vegetables under running water and dry. After this, remove the stalk and seeds. Cut them in half and then chop them into 3-4 mm strips.

This completes the preparation process. Next, decide on the drying method.

Outdoors

This method is the simplest and has long been tested by housewives of different generations. All you need to do is place the prepared peppers on a wire rack, cover them with gauze and leave to dry in a warm place. Do not leave the workpiece in direct sunlight to prevent it from burning.

Peppers will dry in such conditions for 3-4 days. Then pour the drying mixture into a dry container and put it in a closet for long-term storage.

In an electric dryer

An electric dryer makes the process much easier. Place the prepared product on the wire rack and turn on the electric dryer at a temperature of 50 °C. After 12 hours the drying will be ready. Place the peppers in a clean, dry container and store.

In the oven

This method is similar to drying peppers in an electric dryer. Place the prepared product on a baking sheet, set the temperature to 50 °C and dry, stirring occasionally, for 12-14 hours.

Attention! It is recommended to store dried bell peppers in linen bags or an open plastic bag. When storing the dryer in a jar, make a hole in the lid to allow air to enter.

Marinate and preserve

Common ways to preserve vegetables are pickling and canning. Bell peppers are prepared for the winter using these methods.

Read how to prepare delicious snacks and salads for the winter table.

Pickled bell pepper

To prepare pickled bell peppers, choose the thick-walled type.

Ingredients:

• bell pepper – 3 kg;
• vegetable oil – 1 cup;
• parsley - 1 large bunch;
• sugar – 0.5 cups;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 1 head;
• bay leaf – 8-10 leaves;
• peppercorns – 1 tsp;
• cloves – 6-8 pcs.;
• vinegar 9% – 1 glass;
• water – 600 ml.

Cooking process:

1. Rinse the pepper under running water, cut in half and remove the stem, core and seeds.
2. Cut each half into 3-4 pieces depending on the size of the fruit.
3. Prepare the marinade. Add salt, sugar, vegetable oil and vinegar to boiling water. Dip the pepper preparations into it and simmer under a closed lid for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, place the remaining spices in sterilized jars: parsley, garlic, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns.
5. Transfer the boiling stock into jars and fill with marinade to the top of the jar.Place vegetables tightly, do not be afraid to mash them.
6. Screw the jars with tin lids on, turn them upside down and cover with a blanket or thick towel. Leave it like this until it cools completely.

The pickled bell pepper is ready. Store it in a cool place. After 2-3 months, when the workpiece is completely marinated, serve it. This appetizer will complement both the festive and everyday table.

Roasted bell pepper

No matter how intimidating the name of the recipe may sound, don’t be scared. The recipe is easy to prepare and extremely tasty.

Ingredients:

• bell pepper (not large) – 2.5 kg;
• sugar – 1 glass;
• salt – 1 tbsp. l. with a slide;
• garlic – 1 head;
• pepper bitter - 1 PC.;
• vinegar 9% - 0.3 cups;
• vegetable oil for frying.

The indicated quantity of products is calculated for one three-liter jar.

Cooking process:

1. Wash the fruits under running water. There is no need to clean them. Fry the whole fruit, along with the stalk and core, in vegetable oil.
2. Place the fried vegetable in sterilized jars in layers: a layer of pepper, a layer of garlic cut into slices.
3. After filling the jar to the top, pour sugar, salt, and vinegar into it.
4. Fill the contents of the jar with boiling water to the brim. Roll up the tin lid and shake the jar a little to completely dissolve the salt and sugar.
5. Wrap the jars turned upside down with a warm blanket and leave until completely cool.

Place the cooled jars in the basement for storage.

We freeze preparations for salads and main courses

Another way to store bell peppers is freezing. This method is convenient because you can freeze not only chopped vegetables, but also whole fruits.

To freeze whole bell peppers, wash and dry them thoroughly. After this, remove the stalk and core, stack the fruits one inside the other, about 5-7 pieces each. Place such preparations in bags or containers and place them in the freezer at the “freezing” temperature setting. Store frozen food in the freezer storage compartment. Vegetables frozen in this form are suitable for preparing vegetable or meat stuffed peppers.

To freeze sliced ​​peppers, you need to cut the prepared product into pieces that are convenient for you. This can be straws, from which salads and stews are subsequently prepared, or cubes, which are suitable for preparing roasts and first courses.

This product is stored for 10-12 months.

Drying in oil

Drying bell peppers is another way to preserve the vegetable for a long time with the maximum possible amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

For drying, it is necessary to select whole, undamaged fruits, not overripe and without signs of rotting. For this storage method, use thick-walled types of vegetables.

Wash the selected fruits, dry them and cut them into halves; large ones - into quarters. If you have time, take the time to remove the skin from them, this will give you a richer taste and aroma of bell peppers. To easily peel the skin, immerse the prepared fruits in boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer to cold water for the same time. Remove the pieces from the water and remove the skin by carefully prying it off with a knife.

After this, grease each piece with oil. You can use either sunflower or olive oil, according to your taste.To enhance the taste and aroma, it is recommended to use mixtures of dried herbs; it would also be a good idea to sprinkle the preparations with salt and black or red ground pepper.

Now begin the drying process. How best to do this, choose based on your capabilities. Dried peppers are equally delicious in both a gas oven and an electric oven. An electric dryer is also suitable for this process.

Place the workpiece on a baking sheet or wire rack in the oven at a temperature of 70-80 ° C for 1.5-3 hours. After this time, increase the temperature to 100 °C and continue drying the workpiece. In this mode, leave the pepper in the oven for another 30-40 minutes. After this, the workpiece should “rest”. Remove it for 20-30 minutes and return it to drying in the oven at 100°C for 40 minutes.

Attention! It is easy to determine the readiness of the product: the pulp of the dried pepper in the oil will become one third less than at the initial stage, and the slices themselves will darken.

This preparation is stored in jars with oil. To do this, prepare clean, sterilized jars and layer dried peppers, pieces of garlic and vegetable oil to the very top. Also add rosemary, thyme and basil for flavor and aroma. Place the peppers tightly so that no air remains in the jars. Now the preparation is ready, store it in the refrigerator, and in winter add it to salads or eat it as an independent dish.

Tips and secrets

There are a few more tips that will help keep the product fresh, tasty and healthy for a long time:

• Do not use unripe peppers for refrigeration. At cold temperatures it will not ripen and will begin to deteriorate.
• Sweet peppers of different degrees of ripeness should not be stored together, as this will speed up the ripening process of the unripe product, which will lead to further spoilage.
• Products stored in the basement or refrigerator are periodically checked for freshness. If a spoiled one appears in a common container, remove it immediately.

Conclusion

How to store bell peppers in winter? For this purpose, freezing, drying, pickling, canning and drying are used. All methods are good, the main thing is to choose the best one for yourself. With some effort, you will extend your summer throughout the winter period and please yourself and your loved ones with delicious and healthy dishes.