Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: cheshirecheese on February 23, 2012, 12:16
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I thought I'd seen a similar topic on here a while back, but can't find it now! I want to make another large batch of chilli jam, but I can only find the long red chillies I need for it in tiny packs in the supermarkets where they're a silly price. We have lots of Asian grocers around and about, but they don't sell this particular variety. There's one guy who says he can get me a small box of them, and I'd like to take advantage of that ... but only if I can freeze what I don't use. Anyone know (a) whether you can freeze them, and (b) what it does to the texture and flavour? Thanks!
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Yes they freeze well. Don't interfere with them first, just freeze them on an open tray or box and when they've frozen but the lid on or pop them into a freezer bag. Don't let them touch each other in the tray as you want them to freeze separately so you don't have a frozen block of chillies when you need to use them
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Brilliant! Thanks so much - I'll place my order right now!! :D
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I have a bag of chilli's in the freezer now, the flavour doesn't change though I've heard it enhances the heat.
They aren't as easy to chop though x
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Oh yes - I had such a glut last year that I managed to fill a freezer bag with long red chillies and freeze them. I've got more than enough to see me through this year as well so I won't need to grow them this year!
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yes as the others have said chillies freeze well. Still got a freezer bag from last year, said I would,nt need to grow any this year but I have weakend and have a half size seed tray already sown ::)
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Or just dry them. Every year I chuck my chilli crop in a bowl on the windowsill and they dry out absolutely fine. I think they're much easier to handle and chop up when they're dried as well. And once they're dried, you can use them to make chilli flakes or chilli powder if you want to, or just chop them up and use them as chillis. I'm still using my 2010 crop of chillis and they're fine.
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I like freezing them, I think drying changes the taste too much. I just chuck them in a freezer bag and straight in the freezer, then take them out as required. No trouble chopping them, just hold by the stem and cut with scissors straight into the pot, job's a good'un. :D
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I dry and freeze. Dried chillies get hotter and hotter :ohmy:
As for "not growing anymore as I already have some in the freezer", for me is unthinkable, I already have seed trays filled them all manner of new varieties on the go. A year without growing an untried chilli is a year wasted :D
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I'm soooo with you there CQ :lol:
I've got a jar of dried chillies, some frozen (I find chopping and decanting into cheap ice-cube trays works well and defrosted cubes last in the fridge for a few days), plus chopped chillies preserved in oil (heat oil to 180 degrees C and pour over and keep in fridge once opened) and last but not least a jar of pickled chillies.
So no need to grow this year :nowink: Got 5 varietes germinating on the windowsill as we speak :D
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Thanks for all these responses ... please could someone tell me the specific variety that produces the long red chillies that are what I'd call moderately hot? (i.e. they don't blow your head off!) :D
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Big or small chillis? Cayenne are long and red, quite large (up to 5 or 6 inches long) and fairly mild. Well, I think they are anyway, but it really is down to personal taste. I find Superchilli mild to about right, and they're supposed to be pretty hot. They're also long and red but a much smaller chilli (about 1 inch). There's actually dozens of varieties that are long and red :)
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Mrs Growster and I chop them open, take out the pith and the seeds, and then chop them really small.
Then they get wrapped in ice cube size pack, and frozen in a tray in individual cubes.
That's fine, until I then touch a stray ear, cheek or eye, and run screaming for the tap, then the fresh air...;0)