Can you freeze chillis?

[craigjm]

Question as per title. I’ve been given a huge bag of decent scotch bonnets but I’m not around next couple of weeks so was wondering if I could just stick them in the freezer raw?

[Strudul]

Yeh

[fourfoldroot]

Yeh +1
I grow chillis every year, when harvested just stick them in a back in freezer. Just take out when needed and they have usually thawed out by the time they get chopped. If anything it releases more hotness.

[jas xjr]

I grow a lot of chilli's,I prefer to use fresh but also dry them and freeze too

[PositronicRay]

I freeze them, use quite a lot. I don't know if it's just me but they seem to loose a little flavour.

[craigjm]

Ok cool I’ll stick them in a freezer bag and give them a go. Cheers

[HotJambalaya]

make sure they're really well sealed. I bought a load of roasted hatch chile in the states, and stuck them in bags and stuck them in the freezer.

EVERYTHING in my freezer, ice cream, ice, even the vodka, started tasting of them. I'd had to buy an entire crate of them, and when its the season the supermarkets roast them in the carpark for you, with these crazy propane burners, its really quite something.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-PuxrnU7F0

If you can track some down, either canned or anything get some, they're quite amazing for mexican.

[HTP99]

Yep I freeze them, whenever I buy a packet of chillis I usually only need 1 or 2 and even though they are cheap I hate throwing them away, I put them in a sealed tupperware type thing, I also freeze ginger too; it grates really well from frozen.

[cbmotorsport]

They're fine frozen, if you put them into a recipe. If you were using them as a garnish, they tend to go mushy after being thawed. Unlikely that you'll be garnishing with scotch bonnets though. :-)

[craigjm]

cbmotorsport said:

Unlikely that you'll be garnishing with scotch bonnets though. :-)

That would sort the men from the boys

[MrJuice]

One of my favourite youtube videos ever. The scotch bonnet challenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Fmo2wl66k

[HD Adam]

HotJambalaya said:

make sure they're really well sealed. I bought a load of roasted hatch chile in the states, and stuck them in bags and stuck them in the freezer.

EVERYTHING in my freezer, ice cream, ice, even the vodka, started tasting of them. I'd had to buy an entire crate of them, and when its the season the supermarkets roast them in the carpark for you, with these crazy propane burners, its really quite something.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-PuxrnU7F0

If you can track some down, either canned or anything get some, they're quite amazing for mexican.

Big +1 on the triple bagging.

I buy Jalepenos from Wal Mart (78c/lb ), freeze them and then bring them back in my suitcase.

They are fine in the freezer,

[HTP99]

MrJuice said:

One of my favourite youtube videos ever. The scotch bonnet challenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Fmo2wl66k

Did anyone see the series when Gordon Ramsey went to India, they are proper hardcore when it comes to chillis, he went to watch a competition where they rub them in their eyes!

Edited by HTP99 on Monday 9th April 17:03

Edited by HTP99 on Monday 9th April 21:52

[Mobile Chicane]

Chop / slice them first.

[craigjm]

I just quickly chucked them in a bag all in one piece as I was leaving. I might return to Ben and Jerry’s Scotch Bonnet Phish Food then

[RizzoTheRat]

Mobile Chicane said:

Chop / slice them first.

^This^ then just sprinkle a supply in to whatever you're cooking. I do think they lose a bit of heat in the freezer though so have to use a bit more than I would if fresh.

[cbmotorsport]

RizzoTheRat said:

Mobile Chicane said:

Chop / slice them first.

^This^ then just sprinkle a supply in to whatever you're cooking. I do think they lose a bit of heat in the freezer though so have to use a bit more than I would if fresh.

No need. They slice easily enough with a sturdy knife from frozen. If you chop them first they'll all stick together when they freeze, unless you bag them all separately 1 chopped chilli at a time.

[number2]

Same for me. I put them in the freezer, in the bags they come in, and take them out and chop them from frozen when required; they defrost quickly enough whether being used raw or not.

[RizzoTheRat]

cbmotorsport said:

No need. They slice easily enough with a sturdy knife from frozen. If you chop them first they'll all stick together when they freeze, unless you bag them all separately 1 chopped chilli at a time.

I usually spread them fairly flat in a freezer bag until they've frozen, which stops them sticking together, although when I have them frozen in to lumps it's easy enough to break a chunk off and bung it in the pot.
Never tried chopping frozen, I'll give it a try as an alternative.

[dapprman]

I use an old large margarine tub to dump them in to (out of bags). Been doing this for years with never a problem in defrosting/using or other food in the freezer being affected. Only problem I have is I look in to a tub of a collection of mixed chillis without knowing which is which .....