How to Store Green Chili Peppers

Wash and Dry Green Chilis

1. Wash the green chili’s under running water. If washing a large batch, you can wash them in a colander.
2. Then dry them completely using a kitchen towel or spread on a kitchen towel and let them air dry.
3. Remove the Stem. (Note: You can also remove the stem before washing)
4. If there are any chili’s that are slightly bruised or changing color to red, add them to the refrigerator stash and use them sooner.

Store in the Refrigerator

1. Line a paper towel in a glass or plastic container. Place the green chilis and wrap them with the paper towel. the paper towel helps to soak any moisture, which keep them fresh for longer.
2. Whenever you use the green chili’s from the container, remove any that are getting spoilt. As they ripen, some might change color to red which is normal.

Whole Green Chili In the Freezer

1. To freeze whole chili’s, place a paper towel in a ziploc and then place the green chili’s in a single layer. This way they don’t stick to each other and are easier to take out. Remove as much air as possible and seal.
2. You may also first freeze them on a sheet pan and then put them in the ziplock bag.

Green Chili Paste In the Freezer

1. Chop the green chili’s or make a paste, then freeze them.
2. Use a blender or food processor to make a paste. Preferably do not add any water when making a paste. (I prefer to make a coarse paste, which is similar to diced chili’s)
3. It is best to store the paste in ice-cube trays in the portion size you use in your cooking. This was it is easy to take them out while using.
4. If you don’t have ice-cube trays, you can store the paste in a ziplock bag. Remember to make a thin layer, so you can break easily for using.

Using Frozen Green Chili

1. If you are using the frozen chilis in cooking, it is not necessary to thaw them. I use them as is when adding to curries or dals which are to be cooked.
2. You can either thaw the green chillies in the fridge or on the counter top. To thaw whole green chili, you can also run under cold water.