Peppers are another one of those really versatile vegetables that can be eaten as a stand-alone snack, or added to so many meals. Red bell peppers are my favorite because they have the sweetest flavor out of all the colors.
Though bell peppers seem to last quite some time on their own, I’m going to share my process that will help you make them last even longer. Washing and prep to properly store bell peppers doesn’t take long and it doesn't require a ton of special, hard-to-find ingredients.
How to Wash Bell Peppers
1. Use a large bowl and add 10 cups of water and ¼ cup distilled white vinegar.
2. Add the bell peppers to the bowl and soak for 2 minutes, set a timer so that you do not over soak the produce and damage it
3. Take the peppers out of the water and set them on a towel to dry for a couple of hours, turning occasionally to make sure each side gets completely dry.
4. Once they are completely dry, place the peppers in a bowl and store them in the fridge away from other produce. They should last 3-4 weeks when washed and stored this way. When they start to wrinkle, I make sure to use those first.
Storing Peppers in the Fridge and Freezer
When prepping bell peppers, I like cutting them up into strips or dicing them and putting them (along with other veggies) into these pint-size mason jars for easy-to-grab salad toppings.
Another way I like to use my diced peppers is to pair them with onions (2:1 ratio, peppers to onions) and freeze them in either quart-size ziplock bags, or using my FoodSaver vacuum sealer (you can find the vacuum sealer here and the bags to go with it here).
I love to make a bunch of these all at once, because it cuts down on prep time for any meal that requires chopping. If you store bell peppers after cutting them up in quart-size ziplock bags, they last 6 months, and if you store them in vacuum-sealed bags, they last about 18 months.
I suggest storing both the ziplock or vacuum-sealed bags flat in the freezer. It’s a real space-saver.
Zero Waste Produce Guide
If you want to learn how to wash and store other produce items with tips for storing and freezing them, check out my Zero Waste Produce Guide. It goes A-Z through 75 produce items and also containers 40 meal ideas to help you reduce waste and save money on groceries. It is available in The Cross Legacy Shop!
Easy Meal Ideas with Peppers
Peppers are a staple in many of our favorites meals. I use them in my One Pot Mexican Quinoa as well as my Gyros. They are also a great addition to batch cooking taco meat in order to stretch your meat budget.
Leave a Comment