# Using frozen peppers



## salty dog (Mar 3, 2014)

During the growing season I regularly throw raw hot peppers into the food processor with some garlic, little salt,vinegar and/or lime juice and a little maple syrup. I use about a half pint of this sauce/relish a week. I freeze some of the batch for later use. I don't can it because I don't like the flavor with the required amount of vinegar for preservation.

I also freeze a lot of hot peppers to make this sauce/relish thru the rest of the year. I don't blanch peppers before freezing.

My old method for my sauce/relish from frozen peppers was to boil them briefly before precessing.

I'm wondering if there's any health reason regarding using the frozen peppers without cooking them first. I've done it and it tastes fine. Just wondering what the best practice is.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I can't see any reason why that would be unsafe.
Never done it though. Like you, I freeze a whole lot of chili peppers. I just throw them in a plastic bag and freeze.
I do fry (or bake or roast) them though when making them into a sauce.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

I think most people would pickle the peppers but, freezing is fine. I use a relish that made with red bell peppers that goes real nice with hot dogs and burgers. Just think of what a spoonful of your hot peppers would do with a spoonful of this relish relish as a topping.


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## salty dog (Mar 3, 2014)

chefbillyb said:


> I think most people would pickle the peppers but, freezing is fine. I use a relish that made with red bell peppers that goes real nice with hot dogs and burgers. Just think of what a spoonful of your hot peppers would do with a spoonful of this relish relish as a topping.
> View attachment 64023


That relish looks good. I wonder why relishes like these store-bought jars aren't so dominated by the vinegar flavor. I've tried canning but the vinegar recommended for preservation overpowers the relish. Do they use a different canning process. Pressure canning?


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

They also use other preservatives that aren't readily available to the home cook. I'm talking the chemical preservatives.

To your original question, using your frozen peppers without cooking them first should be fine.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Yes cooking will displace nutrients but they don't go far.
Just from the veg to the cooking liquid.
I strain off the cooking liquid and reduce then add it back or whizz it... depends on how firm I want the final product.
mimi


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

I find frozen raw peppers to sometimes result in a consistency I don’t like... a bit mushy and/or slimy. For many applications that’s okay. But the surplus that I don’t pickle or ferment I generally roast, de-skin and freeze.


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## salty dog (Mar 3, 2014)

brianshaw said:


> I find frozen raw peppers to sometimes result in a consistency I don't like... a bit mushy and/or slimy. For many applications that's okay. But the surplus that I don't pickle or ferment I generally roast, de-skin and freeze.


Does the roasting help the consistency seem more appealing?
Do you make a fermented hot sauce?

I dehydrate hot peppers that don't make it to the freezer. Grind them in a blade type coffee mill. The powder doesn't shake out like commercial powders but it's easy enough to loosen it up.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

More appealing... in a way... slimy roasted peppers is more acceptable than slimy raw peppers. 

And, yes, every two years I make a fermented Fresno chile hot sauce.

Like you, I also dehydrate and grind. Sometimes even peppers “they” recommend not drying... like Fresno and shishito. Dried and ground red shisito is one of my secret weapons.


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