How to freeze peppers for the winter for stuffing: instructions for preparing a tasty and healthy preparation
Bell peppers are considered one of the most famous and accessible sources of vitamin C among vegetables. Multi-colored, crispy, with a bright unique taste, rich in nutrients, it helps strengthen the immune system and allows you to prepare many dishes. It is stuffed and added to stews, soups, and salads.
Stuffed peppers are quick and easy to make. In winter, it is difficult to buy vegetables suitable for filling in stores or at the market. Therefore, we suggest that you prepare the ingredients for this dish in the summer and store them in the freezer. Freezing is the healthiest way to preserve vegetables.
Preparing for freezing
For storage in the freezer, the most fleshy, dense, healthy fruits without damage, traces of mold and mildew are selected from the harvested crop.. The pods are selected to be the same size. The peppers are washed under warm running water, allowed to dry or wiped with a dry soft towel. After this, the stalk is removed and the seeds are cleared.
Important! Do not completely cut off the “hat” with the tail. The smaller the hole at the top of the pepper, the more filling will remain in it when stewing.
For freezing, choose a separate freezer compartmentso that the peppers lie freely, do not wrinkle or break. You can store the harvest in ordinary plastic bags or containers.
Advantages of this storage method:
- when completely frozen, the bell pepper pods retain all the beneficial vitamins and minerals;
- confidence in the quality of your harvest and that it has not been subjected to repeated defrosting;
- saving the family budget: from the end of autumn, pepper is very expensive in markets and stores;
- The cooking time before guests arrive is significantly reduced.
Read about freezing other vegetables:
How to freeze zucchini for the winter
How to freeze peppers for the winter for stuffing
The washed and peeled peppers are laid out on a cutting board or a special tray and placed in the quick-freezing compartment for 20-30 minutes.. After this time, the frozen peppers are taken out, packaged in bags or containers for long-term storage and placed on a pre-prepared freezer shelf.
Reference. At a temperature of -18 degrees you can preserve the crop throughout the year.
This storage method is also suitable for blanched peppers. The pods are immersed in boiling water for 30 seconds, removed from the pan and immediately frozen. Heat treatment eliminates the bitterness of the fruit and preserves more beneficial vitamins and nutrients.
Not only whole pods are suitable for stuffing, but also those cut in half lengthwise. They are also frozen fresh and after blanching.
Vegetables are also stored in the freezer compartment with peppers, which are subsequently used for filling pepper preparations:
- grated carrots;
- diced tomatoes;
- finely chopped greens.
Thus, the time for stuffing and preparing dishes from frozen preparations is saved., and the process itself brings only pleasure.
Other blanks:
Preparing a dish from frozen ingredients
When preparing a Lenten dish, vegetables are added to the peppers.:
eggplant;- carrot;
- cabbage;
- parsley;
- dill;
- cilantro;
- celery.
Both raw and stewed vegetables are suitable for the filling..
Pork, turkey, beef are used for stuffing with meat.. Mushrooms and rice are an excellent addition to both vegetable and meat fillings.
The prepared semi-finished pepper product is taken out of the freezer and immediately filled with filling.. The pods are placed in a saucepan or stewpan in a vertical position with the spout down. The container is filled with water. Add salt, spices, and tomato paste to taste. The dish is cooked over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.
Reference. Frozen peppers hold their shape well and do not become soggy when stuffed.
The filling is selected according to taste preferences or based on the specifics of nutrition or diet.
Stuffed peppers with pork and rice
To prepare the filling, make minced pork with the addition of lard.to make the dish juicy. Rice, boiled until half cooked, is added to the meat and lard minced in a meat grinder. The mixture is supplemented with carrots and onions. Vegetables are first cut into small cubes or grated on a coarse grater.
For stuffing you will need:
- 200 g rice;
- 0.5 kg pork;
- 0.2 kg lard;
- 200 g carrots;
- 100 g onions;
- salt and spices to taste.
The prepared minced meat is placed in seeded peppers., lay the pods on a tray so that they do not touch each other and do not stick together, and send them to freeze.
To make the dish more vibrant, freeze peppers of different colors: red, yellow, green, orange.
Primary freezing lasts 30-40 minutes. After this, the pods are taken out and placed in bags for storage. Complete freezing time is three hours.
It is recommended to store the dish in the freezer for no more than a year.. Using this harvesting method, you will provide yourself with pepper until the next harvest. By freezing already stuffed pods, you save time when preparing the dish later.
Reference. Bell peppers fill the entire freezer with flavor. Therefore, it is recommended to store it in tightly closed containers or in 2-3 tied plastic bags.
Do I need to defrost?
Stuffed pods in the required quantity are taken out immediately before starting to prepare the dish.. Without defrosting, they are placed in a pan of cold water and placed on the stove. To obtain an aromatic and tasty broth, add finely chopped tomatoes, onions and carrots, salt and spices to taste.
Some housewives recommend a hole at the top of the pepper into which minced meat is placed, before starting to stew, cover with a thin slice of potato. This way the pepper filling will not fall out during stewing. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the peppers over low heat for 30-40 minutes.
Place the prepared pepper halves on a baking sheet without defrosting., greased with vegetable oil, and filled with filling. Top each serving with grated hard cheese. Place the tray in an oven preheated to 150 degrees and bake for an hour.
Attention! Take out of the freezer only the number of peppers that will be cooked. When re-frozen, the fruits lose their taste, appearance and nutrients.
In order not to subject the workpieces to constant defrosting, it is recommended to freeze pods in small portions in separate containers and bags.
Conclusion
Sweet peppers grown on your own plot not only decorate the table in the summer, but also allow you to diversify the menu all year round. Timely harvesting and proper storage will help ensure this.
Stuffed peppers are an appetizing and always welcome dish on every table. There are many options for stuffing. We talked about only a few of them, and drew your attention to small tricks and subtleties that will help you preserve the fruits of your summer labor for a long time.