How to Freeze Jalapeños
This easy tutorial will guide you through how to freeze jalapeños to enjoy throughout the year. Preserve your garden harvest and enjoy homegrown peppers all winter long.
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Food processor for jalapeño cubes
- Ice cube trays for jalapeño cubes
- Baking sheet for whole and sliced peppers
Ingredients
- Fresh jalapeños
Instructions
Minced Jalapeño Cubes
- Remove the stem of the jalapeños and optionally remove the seeds and ribs (depending on how spicy you want them). Place in a food processor.
- Pulse the food processor until the jalapeños are finely minced.
- Spoon the minced peppers into ice cube trays, packing them in with the back of the spoon. Place in the freezer until frozen solid.
- Once the cubes are frozen solid and hold their shape, remove from the ice cube trays and transfer to a freezer-safe container, like a ziplock bag or glass jar.
Sliced Jalapeños
- Slice the jalapeños into ⅛-¼ inch slices. Remove the seeds if you want them to be less spicy by poking them out of the center.
- Place pepper slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Avoid them touching as much as possible.
- Place in the freezer for a few hours until the outside is completely frozen. This prevents them from sticking together in the bag or jar.
- Transfer the frozen slices to a freezer-safe container and promptly return to the freezer.
Whole Jalapeños
- Remove the pepper stems. If you want to keep them less spicy, you can cut them in half and remove the seeds and ribs.
- Place the peppers on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Place in the freezer for a few hours to flash freeze so they don't stick together in the bag or jar.
- Transfer the peppers to a freezer-safe container and promptly return to the freezer.
Notes
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- Check out the post above for step-by-step images!
- Wear gloves when chopping jalapeños to prevent burning of the skin. If you've ever cut hot peppers without gloves, you know what I mean!
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- If you are sensitive to spice, remove the seeds and ribs. I usually like to remove a portion of the seeds but also leave some for a medium spice level.
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- Process peppers in a well-ventilated area and don’t breathe in close to the minced peppers. When processing a lot of peppers, the air can get quite spicy.
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- I like to preserve peppers using all three of these methods as they each have different benefits and uses. If you want a one-size-fits-all method, freeze them whole and chop them as desired when you're cooking them.
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- To prevent freezer burn, be sure to remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible. If you have a vacuum sealer, this can also be a great option for freezing the peppers.
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