NC Cooperative Extension Service

Our mission is to help people improve the quality of their lives
through research-based information and informal educational opportunities focused on issues and needs.

Susan M. Morgan, CFCS
County Extension Agent
Family and Consumer Education
Bolivia, NC 28422
September 6, 2002

FREEZING PEPPERS AND TOMATOES

This season, as the gardens give their final produce, there are lots of peppers and tomatoes in our summer gardens. If you are enjoying them now, you can extend the season by freezing them to use all winter long. The following information will help make this job easier. Peppers are one of those foods you can quickly freeze raw without blanching them first. The National Center for Home Food Preservation, hosted by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, offers these guidelines on freezing peppers:

Freezing Bell Peppers or Other Sweet Peppers
Preparation - Select crisp, tender, green or bright red pods. Wash, cut out stems, cut in half and remove seeds. If desired, cut into 1/2-inch strips or rings. If you are freezing the peppers heated to use in cooked products, water blanch halves 3 minutes, strips or rings 2 minutes and cool promptly, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and freeze. To freeze unheated to use in uncooked foods . Package raw, leaving no headspace. Seal and freeze. These are good for use in uncooked foods because they have a crisper texture, but they also work well in cooked foods.

Freezing Hot Peppers
Preparation - Wash and stem peppers. Package, leaving no headspace. Seal and freeze. If you are working with hot peppers, it is a good idea to protect your hands by wearing disposable gloves. Note that you do not cut or chop hot peppers for freezing.

NOTE: To make it easier to remove only the amount of frozen bell or sweet peppers needed at one time, freeze sliced or diced peppers in a single layer on a cookie sheet with sides. Transfer to a "freezer" bag when frozen, excluding as much air as possible from the bag. The new vacuum sealers work especially well for freezing foods.

Freezing Tomatoes
Preparation - Select firm, ripe tomatoes with deep red color. Raw - Wash and dip in boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen skins. Core and peel. Freeze whole or in pieces. Pack into containers, leaving l-inch headspace. Seal and freeze. Use only for cooking or seasoning as tomatoes will not be solid when thawed. Juice - Wash, sort and trim firm, vine-ripened tomatoes. Cut in quarters or eighths. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Press through a sieve. If desired, season with 1 teaspoon salt to each quart of juice. Pour into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze. Stewed - Remove stem ends, peel and quarter ripe tomatoes. Cover and cook until tender (10 to 20 minutes). Place pan containing tomatoes in cold water to cool. Pack into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze. Storage Time: To extend the time frozen foods maintain good quality, package foods in material intended for freezing and keep the temperature of the freezer at 0 degrees F or below. It is generally recommended frozen vegetables be eaten within about 8 months for best quality. Information for this article was taken from "So Easy to Preserve," 4th ed. 1999. Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised by Elizabeth L. Andress. Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods Specialists.

For additional information about proper food preservation, contact Susan Morgan at the Brunswick County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Canning and freezing publications are available free of charge.

Susan Morgan is Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences, CFCS, for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Brunswick County. For more information or questions, contact Susan at 253-2610 or P. O. Box 109, Bolivia, NC 28422. Brunswick County Extension Center's web site is: www.ces.ncsu.edu/brunswick

Please e-mail Susan Morgan, Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences, CFCS, for further information or assistance.

The information presented is for educational purposes only. References to trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service is implied.

Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

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Date Created 10/3/2002