Best way to preserve chillis?

cambsno

cambsno

Suspended / Banned
Messages
20,999
Name
Simon
Edit My Images
Yes
Got a number of chillis outside which need to be harvested shortly. Not loads but around 5 varieties. Would like to use them over the winter - on top of pizzas, in pasta, in curries etc... Pickle in vinegar, put in oil or anything else???
 
freeze them, my mother always freezes bags of them every year, take 2 or 3 out a few hours before you want to use them and they're like new. perfect for pastas, pizza etc
 
They can be frozen, either chopped or whole.

Or you can store them in oil for a chilli oil. You need to have them completely dried or they'll go mouldy. The dried out chilli needs to be slightly crushed before placing in oil.

I've not tried or tested any of the above. It's my first year with chilli's too. I think I also have 5 varieties, it was a bulk seed packet I bought.
 
Pickled, or chop up and freeze portions in an ice cube tray.
 
chop them up and freeze in an ice cube tray with alittle water to stop frezzer burn these can then be taken out and dropped straight into chilli or curries etc already portioned
 
i have had some in the freezer for nearly a year without a problem, loose in a bag thats not sealed, i just run em under cold water for a few seconds, chop and toss into my sauce.

make sure its a deep freeze and not one in the top of the fridge or they have about 3 months until there naff.
 
I freeze them

Also Chilli oil is a good one, yum yum yum, stick a bit of garlic in as well
Can also add ginger, great for stir fries or putting on salad!!:D
 
Never thought about freezing! So just place on a tray in the freezer, then when frozen can just place in a freezer bag in the same way I do blackberries? Thanks.
 
cambsno said:
Never thought about freezing! So just place on a tray in the freezer, then when frozen can just place in a freezer bag in the same way I do blackberries? Thanks.
Click to expand...


Pretty much:thumbs:

I usually chop em up, stick em on a tray and freeze
Then stick em in a bag, grap a handfull when you need them

Luvverly

Ice cubes work, great in Vodka in the winter
 
We have dozens of them hung on a piece of string in the kitchen. I have no idea if that's the right way or whether they're still usable but that's how they are. I ought to enquire as to my father's intentions with them...
 
i brought a bag off a stall outside someones house in lincoln a few weeks back, mixed array of heat i must say !

i have named them the lucky dips :)

best 20p i spent in a long time lol
 
I've grown lots over the years and have 'kept' them in a variety of ways - oil, pickled, dried etc but I've found just bagging them and sticking them in the freezer works best.

My wife does a wicked chilli jam and chilli chutney !
 
Strung onto strong thread and left somewhere cool and dry to dry. Can then be crushed or ground to produce flakes.

OR, de-seed (yes, I'm a wimp but I enjoy the taste of food and have no desire to wreck my insides by trying to prove my manlihood by eating stupidly hot/spicy stuff!) and chop finely then freeze on a tray before storing in a small tub.

Oil is another good way - almost confit them in the oil of your choice - warm oil rather than red hot and leave them to infuse their flavour into the carrier. If wanted, add garlic as well.

Batch cook loads of chili con carne and freeze portions for later use.
 
We're growing chilis for the first time this year, do the plants die off at the end of the season or can we trim them down and store them somewhere warm so they will resume next spring.?
 
Dry them then stick them in a blender. Store in a spice jar for sprinkling on pizzas or whatever.
 
Either freeze whole or chopped or dry somewhere warm and dry (I use my biltong drier for this purpose)......others have used airing cupboards.
 
mj4456 said:
We're growing chilis for the first time this year, do the plants die off at the end of the season or can we trim them down and store them somewhere warm so they will resume next spring.?
Click to expand...

They will re-grow next year if you have somewhere to store them (like a greenhouse) out of the frost.

If you don't have anywhere to store them (like me) and don't want to buy seeds then just grow fresh every year from the seeds of a couple of chilli's that grew this year.
 
Last edited:
If you grow new plants from this year's seeds, be aware that you're unlikely to get the same strangth chilis from next year's plants as this year's. This year's will probably be F1 hybrids, specially bred to produce a fairly consistent result, while your own home grown seeds will be relatively random. Could lead to a Johnny Cash moment if you're unlucky!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRlj5vjp3Ko
 
Nod said:
If you grow new plants from this year's seeds, be aware that you're unlikely to get the same strangth chilis from next year's plants as this year's. This year's will probably be F1 hybrids, specially bred to produce a fairly consistent result, while your own home grown seeds will be relatively random. Could lead to a Johnny Cash moment if you're unlucky!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRlj5vjp3Ko
Click to expand...

Interesting point. I had been saving some seeds to grow again next year. Think i'll just try and keep this years plants alive rather than grow from seed.
 
Nod said:
If you grow new plants from this year's seeds, be aware that you're unlikely to get the same strangth chilis from next year's plants as this year's. This year's will probably be F1 hybrids, specially bred to produce a fairly consistent result, while your own home grown seeds will be relatively random. Could lead to a Johnny Cash moment if you're unlucky!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRlj5vjp3Ko
Click to expand...

Never knew that - cheers. I normally use fresh bought seed anyway but I suggested it as an option in case people didn't.
 
We dry them, either air dried like has been said - on a piece of string/thread, lay them out on a rattan mat or when you have finished with the oven, leave them in overnight.

When they're dried we put them into an old pepper/salt grinder. perfect for adding some spice to a pizza or other food as you want.:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top