How to prolong the life of chillies in a refrigerator?
Last week I bought a packet of green chilli from an Asian store, the really hot ones. I only used 5 of those and had about 20-25 still left in the little plastic bag (with holes). I just kept it refrigerated but within 4 days, there was mold growing on the stem of the chillies. So, I took the stem off and froze the rest. But then I read that the chilli goes mushy in the freezer.
What can I do to prolong the shelf life of chilli so they stay fresh for longer in the refrigerator (but not frozen)?
Best Answer
I asked the grocer at the Asian store and she gave me a great tip. She said that its the stem that is the main problem and removing it before refrigerating would help keep the chillis fresh for longer. So, she asked me to:
- Wash the chillies and let them air dry or pat dry with a paper towel.
- Gently pull out the stem from the chillies but not to use a knife. A gentle pull should be enough to pluck out the entire stem.
- Discard any spoiled looking chillies so that they don't affect the rest of the chillies.
- Store them in an air tight bag or container in the refrigerator.
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How do you make chilli last longer in the fridge?
Just remove the stem part of the chillies and transfer them inside a zip lock bag. Place the bag inside a refrigerator and use the green chillies as and when required. This way, your chillies can stay fresh for upto a week or so.What is the best way to preserve chillies?
Chillies freeze reasonably well, retaining most of their flavour and heat. Freezing is the best way to preserve fleshier chillies like Scotch Bonnets and Habaneros. To freeze chillies whole, spread them out on a baking tray so they are not touching, freeze and pop into a sealed bag or container.How long are chillies good in the fridge?
CHILI PEPPERS - FRESH, RAW, WHOLE To maximize the shelf life of raw chili peppers, store in a paper bag in the vegetable crisper of refrigerator. How long do raw chili peppers last in the refrigerator? Properly stored, chili peppers will usually keep well for 1 week in the fridge.How long can you preserve chillies?
Store the chillies in a cool, dark place. The chillies will last for about 3 months, but are best consumed within the first 2 as they soften in texture the longer they sit in the oil. Alternatively, you may prefer to store them in the refrigerator.How to store Green Chillies for months| Poonam's Kitchen
More answers regarding how to prolong the life of chillies in a refrigerator?
Answer 2
Per Still Tasty, the shelf life of chili peppers is only going to be about a week. You were probably simply unlucky in having them turn more quickly than that.
In general, this type of chili is not eaten raw, and featured for its texture, so freezing should in fact be a very good option, despite slight degradation in texture that may occur.
Depending on your planned use, you may also consider making refrigerator pickles which will allow them to last several weeks or more refrigerated, but will give them of course and acidic and pickled flavor.
Answer 3
I've had good luck wrapping them in a paper towel, then putting the towel in an open plastic bag.
They'll end up drying out slightly with time, but it'll reduce the liklihood of them molding.
If you're going to be using them whole, where you drop a few into a dish but don't actually chop them up, this works very well.
If you're going to be chopping them up, the freezing works well, too. (my neighbor just tosses 'em in the freezer in a zip-top bag, and pulls them out as he needs them ... generally just takes scissors to 'em while they're still frozen for the smaller ones like thai bird peppers)
Answer 4
We normally remove the stems from the chillies before storing them in the refrigerator. This certainly helps prolonging the shelf life.
As these kind of chillies are essentially for the flavouring/spicing and not for eating as a "vegetable", it is also a common habit to grind them into a paste (preferably with a little salt) and storing this paste in the fridge - this practically lasts forever...and also occupies a lot lesser space... ! !
Answer 5
I just keep my chillies and peppers and capsicum loose in the crisper, but not in freezer bags or any bags at all for they sweat in the bags. Just leave them loose and they last several weeks in the fridge even on a shelf.
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