Freezing vegetables and fruits has long been a common practice among culinary experts. This method of preserving food for the winter allows you to prepare delicious dishes at any time. But experienced housewives have completely adapted to preparing not only vegetables in this way, but also homemade semi-finished products that are completely ready for cooking. For example, frozen stuffed peppers in the freezer for the winter are a real godsend for all busy women. Having spent just one evening, at any time after that you can pamper your family with a tasty and satisfying dish. After all, to do this, you just need to remove the preparations from the freezer and send them to stew.
Excellent preparation for the winter, helping to save time
How to properly freeze stuffed peppers for the winter
Successful preparation of stuffed peppers for the winter in the freezer depends not only on the recipe itself, but also on the correct choice of the main ingredients.
The very first thing you should pay special attention to is the selection of the Bulgarian fruit and its preparation. It is best to give preference to vegetables of the same size, but they should not be too large. Late varieties should be chosen, as they are more fleshy and have a dense skin, which will allow them to retain their shape during freezing. Be sure to look at the integrity of the fruit. There should be no damage or dents on them.
Advice! It is best to give preference to the red and yellow varieties, since the green fruits are slightly bitter after heat treatment.
Having selected suitable and completely intact specimens, you can begin preparatory work, which consists of the following steps:
- First, the fruits are thoroughly washed under running water.
- They are then wiped with a paper towel until the skins are completely dry.
- They begin to remove the stalks; this should be done carefully, without damaging the fruits.
- Clean the inside of the seeds.
Having completely washed and cleaned the peppers, you can start stuffing them for freezing for the winter.
How to stuff peppers for the winter for freezing
You can stuff peppers according to different recipes, for example, with meat, minced meat and rice, or with vegetables, but the principle of filling the fruit remains unchanged. To do this, prepare the filling and fill the pre-peeled peppers tightly with it.
Attention! The pepper should be filled with vegetable filling quite tightly, just like with meat, but minced meat and rice (if used raw) are filled without reaching the edge by 0.5 cm.
Next, wrap a wooden cutting board in cling film and place the stuffed fruits on it so that they do not touch each other. Then, before sending the blanks to the freezer, they need to be cooled; to do this, they are placed in the refrigerator for an hour. After cooling, the pepper is sent to the freezer at a temperature of -18 degrees; if possible, it is better to use the “Super Freeze” mode. After approximately 3-4 hours, check the workpieces; if the peppers crumple even a little when pressed, they should be left for another 20-30 minutes. But you cannot freeze semi-finished products for more than 8 hours, otherwise all the liquid will freeze out and they will be dry when finished.
Completely frozen homemade semi-finished products are packaged in plastic bags or sealed containers. And again they are sent to the freezer for further storage.
How to freeze bell peppers for stuffing and slices in the freezer for the winter
For a very long time, in order to procure fruits, berries and vegetables that are not suitable for storage in the cellar, it was necessary to resort to any methods of processing them: canning, pickling or drying.
But with the arrival on sale of household refrigerators with a spacious freezer compartment, there was a small revolution in the actions of many housewives.
Since it became possible to store more products over a long period of time without resorting to heat treatment. Thus, freezing has become another acceptable way to preserve summer fruits and vegetables until the next harvest.
However, even today, many inexperienced housewives do not know how to do things correctly. Therefore, I’ll start small and tell you all the secrets of how to freeze bell peppers for stuffing and pieces in the freezer for the winter.
How to freeze peppers for the winter for stuffing in the freezer without minced meat
You can easily and quickly prepare hollow peppers for stuffing for the winter. And the most important thing is the unsurpassed aroma of the finished dish on the table, reminiscent of the taste of freshly picked fruits. Pickled whole peppers don't taste like this.
Tip: for 1 liter of water you need 10 grams. salt.
Preparations for freezing:
- We wash green thick-walled sweet peppers without visible defects, not flaccid and small in size.
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the stalk, capturing part of the fruit (up to 5 mm), and then carefully remove the inner core with the seeds.
- Place the hollow peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes. and transfer to a bowl of cold salted water.
- Place the cooled soft peppers on a cotton towel.
- After the vegetables have dried, place them entirely in a vacuum or plastic bag next to each other. And put it in the freezer for 3 hours, without leaning the bags against each other.
- After the time has passed, you can package the frozen pepper in the required quantity in vacuum bags in several layers.
Tip: it is better not to use paper towels, as they get wet and stick to the fruit. Tip: in the bag, you need to distribute the fruits in one layer so that they do not freeze in a whole lump.
Before stuffing such preparations, you need to take them into a bowl and leave for 15 minutes. until completely defrosted.
Frozen peppers stuffed with meat and rice
With this recipe I want to interest all business women who do not have time to stand at the stove for a long time, as well as housewives who are already tired of standing at the stove and absolutely do not know how to diversify the daily menu. Ice cream stuffed peppers are the ideal solution for a delicious and quick lunch with the whole family or for welcoming unexpected guests.
Required ingredients:
- Pepper – 12 pcs.;
- Rice – 170 gr.;
- Minced pork and beef – 350 gr.;
- Onion – 50 gr.;
- Carrots – 120 gr.;
- Basil and parsley – 5 grams each;
- Salt – 7 gr.
Preparation of peppers:
- We wash the selected thick-walled sweet peppers. We cut off the tail, capturing up to 1 cm of the fruit itself, so that the inner pulp with seeds can be easily removed.
- Place the prepared fruits in hot water for blanching for 5 minutes, until they become soft and pliable. After this, place the peppers in a colander and cool under running cold water. And place it on a plate to drain off excess liquid.
- Meanwhile, boil the rice. Peel the onions and carrots, wash and finely chop the greens and onions, and chop the carrots using a grater.
- Add minced meat, greens with onions and carrots to the rice in the pan, then add salt to the mixture and stir thoroughly.
- We stuff each pepper with the prepared minced meat and put it in a container or vacuum bag, close it and put it in the freezer.
Tip: you need to cool it in cold water so as not to reduce the amount of vitamin C in the fruits. Tip: you can also add spices if desired: ground allspice, curry or paprika.
The stuffed pepper is ready, all you have to do is take it out, put it in a saucepan, pour in the borscht seasoning and simmer for 50 minutes. over low heat, serve with sour cream.
Freezing bell pepper pieces
A multi-colored assortment of frozen peppers is ideal for both a salad with fresh cabbage and carrots and a vegetable stew. I often use such pieces when baking potatoes in mounds with meat, they are simply delicious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdtJUIygSS8
Let's start cooking:
- We wash the thick-walled yellow and red peppers and then cut them into pieces, removing the inside with the seeds.
- Place the prepared pieces in boiling water for 3 minutes. and place in a bowl of cold salted water for literally 2 minutes.
- Place the chilled peppers on a towel and allow excess liquid to drain.
- And after this, we place the pepper slices in vacuum bags and store them compactly in the freezer.
Tip: you need to pack in small portions so that there is enough for cooking at once without re-freezing the leftovers.
Now you know how to freeze bell peppers for stuffing and pieces in the freezer for the winter. I hope you will try this simple recipe.
How to Freeze Bell Peppers for Pizza
Nothing is impossible when it comes to freezing pepper recipes. You just need a little effort and accuracy to ensure that the rings are even and of the same width, and as a result, surprise your family or guests with real Italian pizza.
Procurement process:
- We wash multi-colored sweet peppers (red, orange and green) without visible defects.
- Carefully cut off the stalk along with part of the fruit, capturing about 5-7 mm, so that it is easy to remove the inside with the seeds.
- And then we blanch the already peeled peppers in hot water and cool in a bowl of salted cold water.
- Then we take each one in turn and cut it into rings with a sharp knife so as not to tear the soft walls.
- Place the cut rings on a towel and leave until all the water has drained.
- After the time has passed, lay it out on a board in one layer and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. And we put the frozen pieces into vacuum bags and store them compactly in the freezer.
You'll see, pizza with such colorful rings and ham and cheese will even lift your spirits.
How long can you store stuffed peppers with meat in the freezer?
Depending on the model of a household refrigerator, the optimal temperature in the freezer is set from -6 to -18ºC, which allows you to preserve food products with their original taste and nutritional characteristics.
If we consider stuffed peppers as a complete ready-made dish, then its shelf life is 3-4 months. But this is subject to the use of freshly prepared minced meat from fresh meat; if you take minced meat from the store, then you need to take into account its expiration date.
The remaining ingredients are beyond doubt.
If you have any questions, I suggest you also watch a video on how to freeze peppers in the freezer.
Source: https://nash-pogrebok.ru/kak-zamorozit-bolgarskij-perec-dlja-farshirovki-i-kusochkami-v-morozilke-na-zimu.html
Peppers stuffed with meat for the winter in the freezer
Peppers stuffed with meat for the winter can be frozen according to the following recipe. It is the simplest and takes little time to prepare. In this way, you can prepare semi-finished products if you have a fairly large harvest.
For 1 kg of bell pepper, you will need the following ingredients:
- mixed minced meat (beef and pork) – 0.5 kg;
- rice - 1 tbsp.;
- 1 onion;
- salt, pepper - to taste.
Freezing stages:
- The rice is washed and boiled until half cooked.
- While the rice is cooking, the peppers are prepared (the stalk and seeds are washed and removed).
- Peel the onion and chop it finely.
- The boiled rice is washed under cold running water, allowed to cool completely, and then mixed with rice and onions. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill the peppers with the filling.
- Place the stuffed peppers in a plastic bag and place them in the freezer so that they do not touch each other. Therefore, it is advisable to package them in portions of 4-6 pieces.
Attention! You should not add too much spices, as the filling will still have to be salted during the cooking process.
It is best to cook stuffed peppers frozen in the freezer in this way in tomato sauce.
How to cook frozen stuffed peppers “Business Lady”
Wash the pepper, carefully cut off the “lid”, remove the seeds and membranes from each “carcass”. If the pepper bursts a little, or comes across a little spoiled, you can safely cut off a piece of skin with pulp. The main thing is that the hole is small, then the filling will remain inside.
Prepare onions, garlic and carrots. Peel the vegetables and peel the carrots.
Finely chop the onion and garlic, grate the carrots on any grater. The onion and garlic need to be chopped, and not passed through a meat grinder with the meat. Then, when stewing, these vegetables will not produce juice, along with which almost all of their flavor can leak out of the peppers.
Rinse the rice well and boil until half cooked in lightly salted water. Prepare the filling by mixing rice, raw minced meat, onion, garlic and carrots well. Season the resulting mass with salt and pepper.
Stuff the peppers tightly with minced meat. In this case, vegetables can be filled with a small “heap”. The meat will hold up well both during freezing and during stewing.
Place the stuffed peppers in a single layer in a bag and place in the freezer. Vegetables may touch each other.
Frozen peppers can be stored in the freezer for up to six months. Although they are unlikely to live that long, they will most likely be eaten by members of the household more quickly.
After the semi-finished product is removed from the freezer, the question arises: how to cook frozen stuffed peppers. Most housewives choose the “old fashioned” method on the stove. There is no need to defrost the peppers for this. Place in a saucepan, add water so that it completely covers the peppers.
How to cook frozen stuffed peppers in the oven
Cooking peppers in the oven is much the same as on the stove. Semi-finished products are placed in a baking dish, filled with water mixed with sour cream, ketchup and herbs. It is important to place the vegetables vertically, minced side up, so that they do not fall to one side. Otherwise, all the juice will leak out of the peppers. Bake the dish in the oven for about 40 minutes.
We recommend reading: What to do with Sweet Peppers in Central Russia to Make It Turn Red
How to cook frozen stuffed peppers in a slow cooker
Peppers are especially easy to prepare in a slow cooker. But this method is for those who are not in a hurry. First you need to fill the bowl with water halfway, add sour cream, ketchup, herbs and mix well. Add frozen peppers to the broth. The dish is stewed for about 2 hours in the “stew” mode of the slow cooker.
Tips for Cooking Frozen Stuffed Peppers
- When preparing meat peppers, it is better to use meat that is not entirely lean for minced meat. Otherwise the filling will be tough. The neck is ideal.
- To prevent the rice from boiling over and turning into porridge, it is better to put it in the peppers raw or semi-raw.
- For extra juiciness, you can add fried carrots and onions to the minced meat.
- If the housewife decides to defrost the peppers before cooking, this should not be done at room temperature. It is better to place the peppers on a large plate in the refrigerator. This way they won't lose their shape.
- Peppers can be stuffed with crushed potatoes mixed with fried onions and lard, mushrooms or buckwheat, rice with crab sticks, and minced liver.
- To make the dish even tastier, you can add fried vegetables from carrots, onions, and garlic to the broth in which the peppers are cooked.
Wash the pepper, carefully cut off the “lid”, remove the seeds and membranes from each “carcass”. If the pepper bursts a little, or comes across a little spoiled, you can safely cut off a piece of skin with pulp. The main thing is that the hole is small, then the filling will remain inside.
Prepare onions, garlic and carrots. Peel the vegetables and peel the carrots.
Finely chop the onion and garlic, grate the carrots on any grater. The onion and garlic need to be chopped, and not passed through a meat grinder with the meat. Then, when stewing, these vegetables will not produce juice, along with which almost all of their flavor can leak out of the peppers.
Rinse the rice well and boil until half cooked in lightly salted water. Prepare the filling by mixing rice, raw minced meat, onion, garlic and carrots well. Season the resulting mass with salt and pepper.
Freezing peppers stuffed with vegetables for the winter
For vegetarians, there is also an interesting recipe for peppers stuffed with vegetables frozen in the freezer for the winter. These semi-finished products can be an excellent dinner if you stew them in tomato sauce.
For 6 medium-sized peppers you should prepare:
- 1 onion;
- young carrots – 5 pcs.;
- salt – 2/3 tsp;
- sugar – 1 tbsp. l.;
- 2-3 tbsp. l. sunflower oil.
Manufacturing steps:
- Bell peppers are washed, stems and seeds are removed.
- Peel the onion and chop it finely. Place the frying pan on the stove, pour oil into it and let it heat up. Then add onions to it. Fry it until transparent.
- Peel the carrots and chop them in any convenient way (you can grate them or use a food processor).
- The chopped root vegetables are placed in a frying pan, stirred occasionally, and the vegetables are simmered for 15 minutes. Then add salt and sugar, mix everything thoroughly.
- Remove the finished filling from the stove and allow it to cool completely, after which the peppers are filled with it. It is advisable to place each fruit in a glass and place it in the freezer until completely frozen.
- They are then removed and packaged in bags. Place it back in the freezer and leave it to be stored for the winter.
Peppers should be stuffed with carrots as tightly as possible
Stuffed bell peppers (frozen) - a very convenient preparation for the winter
Freezing stuffed peppers is a very convenient winter preparation that will help you save time on preparing dinner. The semi-finished product freezes well and does not lose its taste or shape.
How to freeze stuffed peppers for the winter:
- Boil the rice until half cooked.
- Stuff the vegetables with prepared rice porridge mixed with minced meat and spices;
- Lay out on a board, freeze and pack into containers or bags for storage.
That's the whole recipe! In winter, the stuffed peppers will just need to be stewed in tomato sauce with carrots and onions (no need to defrost anything) and a delicious dinner will be provided. So cook a lot at once - the main thing is that there is enough space in the freezer.
Freezing peppers stuffed with meat and rice for the winter
Another great step-by-step recipe for freezing stuffed peppers in the freezer for the winter is a simple version with meat and rice. And to complete such a workpiece, you will need:
- sweet pepper – 30 pcs.;
- meat (pork and beef) 800 g each;
- oblong rice - 0.5 tbsp.;
- dark (wild) rice – 0.5 tbsp.;
- onions – 2 large heads;
- 6 carrots;
- egg – 1 pc.;
- vegetable oil – 2-3 tbsp. l.;
- spices - to taste;
- fresh herbs - to taste.
Execution order:
- Wash 2 types of rice well and boil until half cooked. Rinse again and leave until completely cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the peppers. They are also washed under running water, the stalks and seeds are removed. Place them in a steam bath to soften.
- Start preparing the filling. To do this, pass the meat through a meat grinder, add 2 types of boiled rice, salt and add spices to taste, and break an egg. Mix everything thoroughly.
- Peel the onions and carrots, chop them (cut the onions into small cubes, grate the carrots).
- Pour oil into the frying pan, place it on the stove and then fry the chopped carrots and onions until golden brown. Simmer the vegetables for about 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow fried vegetables to cool completely.
- When cold, transfer the fried vegetables into minced meat, and add finely chopped greens there. Mix everything until smooth and start stuffing the peppers.
- Then lay out 3-4 pieces. into bags and put in the freezer.
Adding fried vegetables makes this preparation much tastier.
Freezing peppers stuffed with minced meat for the winter
This recipe for preparing frozen stuffed peppers for the winter in the freezer will save time on cooking. To complete this you will need the following ingredients:
- sweet pepper – 1 kg;
- any minced meat – 600 g;
- 2 onions;
- rice – 1/3 cup;
- 1 egg;
- salt, spices - to taste.
Step by step execution:
- Wash each pepper, removing the stem and seeds.
- Pour boiling water over the peeled fruits to make them softer.
- Next, start with the rice. It is washed well and sent to boil in boiling water for no more than 5 minutes. Then drain in a colander and rinse again. Leave to cool.
- Add spices and finely chopped onions to the minced meat. Break the egg and add undercooked rice.
- The finished minced meat is tightly filled with sweet pepper pods. Place them on a wooden cutting board and put them in the freezer.
- After complete freezing, semi-finished products are packaged in portions in bags.
In this way, you can prepare a large number of semi-finished products to delight your family with a delicious dinner more often.
How to Prepare Stuffed Peppers with Meat and Rice for the Freezer
To prepare this preparation we will need 2 kilograms of sweet pepper. The first thing to do is rinse the pods well under running water. Then, cut out the stalk and carefully remove all the seeds and internal veins. We rinse the “cups” of peppers again, trying to remove the remaining seeds with a stream of water.
Now, we need to blanch the peppers. This is done to make them softer. Such peppers can be filled with minced meat much more densely and it will not crack.
To blanch, pour water into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Place the pods in boiling water and wait for the water to boil again. In principle, the peppers can be taken out immediately after this. This time is quite enough for such processing. Place them in a colander and let cool.
After cooling, the color of the peppers will become slightly less bright, and the pods themselves will become slightly translucent. You can even see this difference in the photo.
Let's start with rice. In principle, you can use any rice, but I prefer to use long grain rice for stuffing. Rice (150 grams) needs to be washed in water.
Then put it in 500 milliliters of boiling water and cook for no more than 5 minutes.
Place the undercooked rice in a colander and leave to cool. How cooked the grains should be can be seen in the photo.
Next, prepare the minced meat.
Peel onions (300 grams) and cut into large pieces. We grind lean pork (1 kilogram) through a meat grinder together with onions. Add egg, salt, ground black pepper and half-cooked rice to the resulting minced meat. Mix.
How to freeze stuffed peppers with meat and rice
By this time, the sweet pepper pods have cooled down and can now be stuffed. We stuff them with minced meat as tightly as possible and place them on a flat surface on which the initial freezing will take place.
Recipe for stuffed peppers for the winter: freezing and frying
In addition to the recipes described above, which suggest freezing stuffed peppers for the winter, there is an option for preparing an almost complete dish if, in addition, you also prepare frying.
Ingredients:
- 20 pcs. sweet pepper;
- mixed minced meat – 1.5 kg;
- round rice - 1 tbsp;
- egg – 1 pc.;
- 4 onions;
- 8 pcs. carrots;
- tomatoes – 8 pcs.;
- sunflower oil – 4 tbsp. l.;
- butter – 1 tsp;
- wheat flour – 1 tsp;
- salt and spices - to taste;
- fresh herbs - optional.
Cooking method:
- The rice is washed under running water and sent to cook. After boiling, it should be kept for no more than 5 minutes, then thrown into a colander and washed again. Let it cool.
- Peel and wash the peppers, scald them so that they are soft.
- The bulbs are cleaned and finely chopped. Grate the carrots on a medium grater; do the same with the tomatoes.
- Place a frying pan with butter and vegetable oil on the stove, then after heating, put onions, carrots and tomatoes in it. Salt to taste. Stir and continue to simmer for 7-10 minutes over low heat.
- While the roast is stewing, begin the minced meat. Add some fried carrots and onions to it. Break the egg and add spices to taste. Add chopped greens.
- Peppers are filled with prepared minced meat. Lay them out on a wooden cutting board and put them in the freezer.
- Don't forget about frying. Add a little flour and mix. Then remove from the stove and allow to cool. Prepare a container, pour the roast into it, close it tightly and also place it in the freezer.
Additional frying will further simplify the cooking process.
Step-by-step recipe for stuffed peppers in sour cream sauce
In sour cream sauce this dish will be even more tender. Lovers of proper nutrition will definitely appreciate this recipe. It turns out incredibly tasty and satisfying. You can't do without additives!
Ingredients:
- 10 medium peppers;
- one carrot;
- half a kilo of minced meat;
- two large onions;
- 100 grams of bread;
- 150 grams of fat sour cream;
- 100 grams of mushrooms (champignons can be used);
- salt and spices to taste.
Step by step description:
1. Grind one onion in a blender until mushy. If you are using unprepared minced meat, you can mince the onion along with the meat. Soak the bread in a small amount of water or milk. Squeeze slightly so that the paste is not too liquid. Combine onion, minced meat and bread in one bowl. Salt and add seasonings. Mix.
2. Remove seeds from peppers. If you use canned or frozen peppers, then everything is much simpler.
3. Stuff the peppers with filling. Carefully place them into the pan.
4. Finely chop the second onion. Grate the carrots. Fry vegetables for 7 minutes in oil.
5. Pour sour cream over the vegetables, add salt, season and mix.
6. Finely chop the mushrooms. You can, of course, do without them. But they give the dish new, even more aromatic and tasty notes.
7. Pour the sauce over the peppers and place the mushrooms on top. Add a glass of water, possibly more.
8. Simmer covered for 40 minutes after the sauce boils.
9. Our peppers are ready. Bon appetit!
Freezing peppers stuffed with pork and rice for the winter
Freezing something like stuffed peppers for the winter is an excellent opportunity to preserve a large harvest. And among all the existing recipes, it is worth highlighting the option with pork and rice. Although almost all recipes contain minced meat and rice, this one differs in that the finished dish turns out to be quite fatty and juicy.
To stuff 1 kg of bell pepper, the following ingredients are needed:
- 700 g minced pork (it is advisable to give preference to a fattier version);
- rice – 5 tbsp. l.;
- a bunch of fresh herbs;
- salt and additional spices to taste.
Algorithm of actions:
- Wash and clean the pepper.
- Separately combine minced pork with finely chopped herbs and raw rice. Salt and pepper to taste.
- It is not stuffed very tightly, since the rice in the recipe is supposed to be taken raw.
- Taking a large bag, place the peppers on it and put them in the freezer until completely frozen, after which they are packaged into portions.
Thanks to the fatty minced pork, the finished dish will be quite juicy
What benefits will we get from freezing fresh peppers?
First of all, it must be said that freezing any vegetable implies preserving all its beneficial substances, which you definitely won’t find on supermarket shelves in winter.
And even if you manage to find the right product, it is unlikely to be fresh or natural.
Most likely, you will be “lucky” to find a limp pepper stuffed with chemicals, and besides, you will definitely not be happy with the price.
Advantages of preparing frozen bell peppers:
✔ Thanks to direct freezing, our pepper retains all its beneficial properties.
The thing is that by freezing a fresh product, we avoid heat treatment, which kills most of the vitamins of the vegetable.
✔ “Winter” pepper, which you can find in a supermarket during the cold season, has a fairly high price, and it is unlikely to be justified by at least one of its properties.
✔ The pepper we prepare at home will have beneficial qualities, which we can be sure will be preserved.
✔ One of the stages of preparing pepper for freezing involves peeling the vegetable from seeds and tail, not to mention slicing it.
This way, when preparing a dish in winter, you can save some time that you could spend on the same cleaning.
✔ We can be sure that our vegetable was frozen only once, which means it still contains all the vitamins we need.
We recommend reading: The principle of operation of a ham maker
After all, ready-made frozen vegetables that we can find in the store most often do not differ in quality.
You cannot be sure that only fresh vegetables were used for freezing; moreover, they can be frozen more than once.
Which pepper is suitable for home freezing?
You need to choose only fresh vegetables, and they should be of high density.
Only dense peppers can contain a large amount of juice, in which most of the vitamins will be concentrated.
Did you buy a couple of kilograms of pepper? Don't delay, and immediately start freezing it while it's still suitable for freezing.
Of course, no one says that slightly wilted peppers cannot be frozen, but we want to eat fresh product in winter, right?
But if it so happens that you started looking for fresh vegetables late, and only slightly limp peppers are left on the market, then this is also not a problem.
Such a product has simply lost some of its moisture, but this does not mean that its vitamins have left the vegetable along with it.
Therefore, immediately after purchasing or collecting your pepper, you need to start preparing it for freezing, especially since it will not take too much time, like, for example, canning.
How should the process of freezing peppers proceed?
Well, there is no secret or secret ingredient that will help our peppers “overwinter.”
There are two ways to prepare such a vegetable, which differ only in the presence or absence of slicing.
You can freeze peppers either whole or in small pieces. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, which we will definitely look into.
How to freeze blanched stuffed peppers for the winter
In order to preserve the original shape of the peppers as best as possible, they should be stuffed for the winter and frozen in the freezer after preliminary blanching.
For 2 kg of sweet pepper you will need:
- meat – 1 kg;
- onions – 300 g;
- egg – 1 pc.;
- rice – 150 g;
- salt and spices to taste.
Freezing option:
- First, prepare the peppers (wash, remove all excess).
- Then they start blanching. To do this, bring water to a boil in a saucepan, reduce the heat and lower the peeled vegetables into it. Bring to a boil again and remove from heat. Remove the peppers and leave until completely cool.
- Then they start with rice. It is washed well and lightly boiled until half cooked.
- Lean meat and at the same time onions are passed through a meat grinder.
- Add undercooked rice to the resulting minced meat, salt and add spices as desired. Break the egg and mix everything thoroughly.
- Start stuffing.
- Next, place the peppers filled with filling on a cutting board and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours. After this, they are removed and placed in small bags.
Blanching allows peppers to freeze much faster.