How to Freeze Jalapeños: Tips for Freezing Jalapeños

Jalapeños are chili peppers that originated in Mexico. Jalapeño peppers are typically green with mild to medium heat. Jalapeños measure between 2,500 and 8,000 on the Scoville scale, falling above bell peppers or poblanos and below hot peppers like serranos.

You can freeze peppers easily. When stored properly, frozen peppers stay preserved for up to one year.

1. 1. Buy or grow your jalapeño peppers. Grow jalapeños or buy fresh jalapeños at a grocery store or farmers’ market. Choose firm jalapeño peppers without discoloration.
2. 2. Wash your jalapeño peppers. Wash your jalapeños under cold running water. To ensure the removal of bacteria, consider washing your jalapeño peppers with a mixture of three parts tap water and one part distilled water.
3. 3. Prepare your jalapeño peppers. Cut off the stems from your jalapeño peppers. Depending on how much freezer space you have, decide whether you will freeze whole or sliced peppers. Similar to habaneros, jalapeños are smaller peppers that can last longer in the freezer if left whole. However, if you need to freeze slices of jalapeños, remove the membranes and seeds while cutting. Wear gloves to avoid skin irritation from capsaicin, a compound found in jalapeños.
4. 4. Flash-freeze your jalapeño peppers. To avoid your peppers sticking together while frozen, place a single layer of whole jalapeños or sliced jalapeños on a baking sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the freezer and leave them for one to two hours.
5. 5. Place your flash-frozen jalapeño peppers in freezer bags. Put your sliced or whole peppers in thick plastic freezer bags. To avoid freezer burn on your peppers, remove all of the air possible from the freezer bags before sealing and placing them in your freezer.
6. 6. Consider dicing your jalapeño peppers. If you use diced jalapeños often, consider dicing your jalapeño peppers and placing them in ice cube trays for easy removal.

Frozen jalapeños can last for up to one year. When you need jalapeños for a recipe, simply remove the required amount from your freezer bags, reseal the bags with no air inside, and replace them in your freezer. You can cook frozen jalapeños right away or let them thaw to room temperature on a paper towel.

Although frozen peppers lack the crispy texture of fresh peppers, they maintain their flavor and heat level for up to a year. Fresh jalapeño peppers work best for fresh salsa, nachos, and tacos, but frozen peppers work perfectly in soups, stir-fries, and when making baked jalapeño poppers with cream cheese and other stuffed pepper appetizers.

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