Content
- 1 How to freeze peppers for the winter for stuffing
- 2 Quick freezing of whole sweet peppers for the winter for stuffing
- 3 Freezing blanched bell peppers for the winter for stuffing
- 4 Freezing bell peppers for stuffing for the winter in portion bags
- 5 How to freeze peppers for the winter in the freezer for stuffing in vacuum bags
- 6 Freezing peppers in boats for stuffing
- 7 How to freeze peppers in “cups” for stuffing in winter
- 8 Do I need to defrost peppers from the freezer before stuffing?
- 9 How long can you store frozen peppers for stuffing?
- 10 Conclusion
Freezing peppers for the winter for stuffing is a popular preparation method. The semi-finished product retains its beneficial properties and taste for a long time. In the process of preparing a stuffed dish from a frozen product, less time is spent. You can put whole or cut fruits into pieces, raw or blanched, into the freezer.
Processed vegetables before being placed in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator
How to freeze peppers for the winter for stuffing
Early ripening vegetables are not used for freezing, since the fruits have thin pulp. Medium and late varieties are more suitable for this processing method.Bell peppers are sold in supermarkets all year round, but in winter the varieties are greenhouse or early ripening, their composition of nutrients is lower and the taste is inferior to autumn ones grown in open ground.
The process of freezing peppers for stuffing is a seasonal event, like canning, so in a short time it is necessary to stock up as much as possible for the winter.
Vegetables for stuffing are frozen without the core and stalk; it is cut off with part of the pulp, which can be used for pickling other preparations.
Peppers with certain characteristics can be frozen for the winter as a preparation for stuffing:
- The fruits must be fully ripe, elastic, the variety and color do not matter.
- The surface should be free of mechanical damage, dark spots, soft and rotten areas.
- It is advisable to take vegetables of the same size.
- If a large volume of raw materials is subject to freezing, it is better to divide it into packaging or vacuum bags into portions necessary for one preparation.
Quick freezing of whole sweet peppers for the winter for stuffing
There are several freezing methods, some of them require lengthy preparation, others save time, but in any case, the raw materials for subsequent stuffing are pre-processed. A circular cut is made on clean fruits and the inside is removed along with the stalk. Then the workpiece is washed so that no seeds remain, placed cut side down on a napkin to drain water, and only after that they begin processing.
Recipe for quick freezing peppers for stuffing for the winter:
- The inside of the processed and dried fruits is rubbed with a small pinch of salt.
- Leave for a couple of hours, during which time the vegetables will give up some of their juice and become more elastic.
- Drain the resulting liquid and wash off the remaining salt under running water.
- Add a teaspoon of citric acid to 5 liters of boiling water, lower the workpiece and turn off the stove.
- After 2 minutes, remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and place them in cold water.
The structure of vegetables for stuffing becomes firm and elastic. The two parts fit together easily. The fruits are placed on top of each other in a bag and immediately placed in a chamber for freezing.
Freezing blanched bell peppers for the winter for stuffing
Blanched vegetables for freezing for the winter are an ideal option; the structure of the workpiece becomes unbreakable and the semi-finished product is completely ready for subsequent stuffing.
Preparing the product before freezing:
- Processed vegetables are poured with boiling water.
- Place on the fire and cook for 4 minutes, turn off the oven, cover the container and leave the fruits in hot water until they cool.
- Place the workpiece on a napkin so that the moisture completely evaporates from the surface.
Packaged in portions for single use and placed in a freezer for freezing.
Freezing bell peppers for stuffing for the winter in portion bags
Before the main freezing vegetables are processed, washed, and allowed to drain. To remove residual moisture, wipe the fruits inside and outside with a dry cloth or paper napkin.
Blanched vegetables in packaging bags
Set the freezer to fast freezing. Polyethylene is placed at the bottom, and fruits are laid out on it so that they do not touch each other. Leave until completely frozen. Then they are packaged in a bag, the air is released, and tied.And they immediately return it back.
How to freeze peppers for the winter in the freezer for stuffing in vacuum bags
Vacuum bags are convenient containers for freezing and storing food. They can be used to package blanched semi-finished or raw products. If the product does not undergo heat treatment, it is pre-frozen so that the fruits in the container do not freeze together. Then, in any convenient way, they are placed in a vacuum bag, the open end is sealed and the air is removed with a special device.
Freezing peppers in boats for stuffing
This method is convenient in terms of the space occupied in the chamber. The methods of freezing and packaging in bags are no different from storing whole fruits. The difference is that the vegetable is cut lengthwise into 2 parts - boats. You can use the recipe with heat treatment:
- Boats are poured with boiling water and left to cool.
- Place in a colander, then allow the remaining moisture to evaporate.
- The parts are stacked on top of each other.
Packaged and sent for freezing.
If the workpiece is not subjected to heat treatment, the parts are laid out on a tray and placed in a chamber for initial freezing for about 40 minutes. Then they are quickly put into bags and sent back to the freezer.
How to freeze peppers in “cups” for stuffing in winter
For this method of freezing peppers for the winter, raw preparations are often used for stuffing. The preparatory work is standard; only processed and dry raw materials are laid:
- Squares measuring approximately 8x8 cm are cut from cling film or a packaging bag.
- A square is placed in the middle of the fruit, then the next vegetable. The main task is to ensure that there are no points of contact between vegetables without film.
- The stack is made along the length of the packaging container.
Freezing bags are placed horizontally.
Do I need to defrost peppers from the freezer before stuffing?
If you completely defrost raw processed peppers, they will become soft and stuffing will be impossible. After removing the product from the freezer, take it out of the bag and after 5 minutes start stuffing.
The blanched semi-finished product is completely defrosted, the elastic structure will not change after this, and it will not be possible to fill the newly extracted product, since the parts are connected and there is no empty space between them.
How long can you store frozen peppers for stuffing?
Vegetables prepared for the winter for stuffing at the lowest constant temperature do not lose their beneficial chemical composition for more than 10 months. The extracted product cannot be re-frozen, especially if processed raw.
Conclusion
Freezing peppers for stuffing for the winter is a convenient and quite popular method of preparation. The semi-finished product saves time in the cooking process. It can be used for any type of minced meat. The fruits completely retain their taste, aroma and beneficial chemical composition for a long time.
