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lakemayor

What to do with green peppers?

lakemayor
13 years ago

I have a lot of large green peppers coming out of the garden right now. What do you all do with them? I chop a lot up and just freeze them for sauces, soups and the such. But what else can I do with those large beauties?

Maybe there was a thread earlier this summer but I haven't been around to long and I couldn't find anything when I did a search.

Karen

Comments (24)

  • trixietx
    13 years ago

    I use mine to make salsa and what is left I do the same as you, chop and freeze.

  • chase_gw
    13 years ago

    Karen I am just finishing up a large batch of stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls for the freezer.

    When they cool I'll package up in ziplocks, two to a pack. Makes for a great fast supper those nights in the winter I'm neither inspired nor energetic enough to cook.

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  • lakeguy35
    13 years ago

    Sharon beat me to it with the stuffed peppers. Love having them in the freezer for a fast and easy work night meal. I like to saute them up with onions to put on top of french dip sandwiches. My group likes them on pizza too.

    David

  • chase_gw
    13 years ago

    LOL David that's the other thing I'm making right now...pizza. and green peppers are a part of it.

    We spent a night in Lake Placid when we were away (the only serious disappointment of the entire trip) we weren't in the mood for a fancy dinner so asked for pizza recommendations.

    Our hotel keeper directed us to a very interesting local pizza spot. The pizza was out of this world, some of the best I've had, and so was the owner....a serious eccentric! LOL !

    Anyhow, back on topic, she sauted the green peppers before using on the pizza. I've always put mine on raw when doing oven baked pizzas, never again that bit of cooking made a world of difference. Funnily, I always par cook veggies for a BBQ pizza just never have done for oven baked.

    Not a very good Sunday meal but....that's what I'm doin'.

  • rachelellen
    13 years ago

    We used to make a somewhat unusual soup at the restaurant, a Cream of Bell Pepper & Onion. It was quite tasty. Just your basic "cream of" soup, using bell peppers and onions for the vegetable. If you try a small pot and like it, you could cook up the bell peppers and onions in stock, puree it and freeze in appropriate quantities, adding the milk/cream when you want to serve for a quick Winter soup.

    I also like dehydrating red and green bell peppers to use minced or pureed in vinaigrette. Also, putting some dried in a spice grinder until fine but not quite powdered makes a nice addition to your own seasoning mixes.

  • grainlady_ks
    13 years ago

    I dehydrate them. Frozen are nicer to use in stir-fry and cooking, but there are a lot of things you can use dehydrated bell peppers in.

    Slices and chopped pieces may both be dehydrated and used in soups, casseroles, meat loaves.... Toss them dry into a salad without re-hydrating them. You can also dehydrate pepper halves. Rehydrate them by pouring boiling water (to cover) over dehydrated pepper halves and letting them soak for 30-45 minutes. Then you can use them as you would a fresh pepper.

    CHEESE-STUFFED DRIED GREEN PEPPERS
    (source: Making & Using Dried Foods - by Phyllis Hobson)

    2 c. boiling water
    6 dried green pepper halves
    2 c. cooked white rice
    1/2 c. milk
    1 T. chopped dried pimiento
    1 T. chopped dried parsley
    1 T. chopped dried onion
    1/2 t. salt
    1/8 t. black pepper
    2 T. butter or margarine, melted
    1 c. grated cheddar cheese

    Pour boiling water over pepper halves. Let soak for 30-45 minutes. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Drain. Combine cooked rice, milk, dried pimiento, parsley, onion, salt, pepper, melted butter or margarine, and grated cheese. Stiff mixture into green pepper halves. Place peppers in a baking pan into which 1/2 c. water has been poured. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 30-minutes. Serves 6.

    How to dehydrate:
    Wash, stem, and core thick-walled green or ripe red bell peppers, or ripe pimientos. Remove all inner white membrane. Cut into halves, thin croswise slices, lengthwise stripes, or coarsely chopped. Blanching is not necessary.

    Spread halves, slices, or pieces in a thin layer over trays. Dry at 120 degrees F until leathery, about 12-18 hours for slices and pieces. Longer for halves. Stir occasionally or turn halves. Rotate halves once or twice during drying.

    -Grainlady

  • rachelellen
    13 years ago

    That's a great idea, Annie! I freeze peppers when they're plentiful, local and cheap in dices and slices, and been quite pleased with the results but hadn't thought to freeze them for stuffing!

  • lindac
    13 years ago

    Pepper jelly....buy some habaneros to give it heat....or not.
    And give ti away for christmas.

  • coconut_nj
    13 years ago

    I freeze them in halves. That way I can use them for stuffing or slice or dice them as I want. I usually like the filling even more than the pepper so I like to stuff halves so I can heap the filling up, smiles. They're so easy to handle when frozen that I can just stuff them when frozen and they're ready to bake. Like Annie's whole peppers, the halves can fit lots of them in a gallon bag nestled together. The halves thaw a bit faster so if I want to slice them or chop them I only have to let them thaw for a few minutes to avoid frostbite while cutting, lol.

  • chase_gw
    13 years ago

    Ggreat idea about freezing cut in half for later stuffing....had I only known that yesterday morning! LOL

  • stuartwanda
    13 years ago

    I can contribute finally!

    Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

    2 lbs. hamburger
    1 chopped onion
    1 28oz tomatoe sauce
    1 280z diced tomatoes
    2 cups of cooked rice
    2 cups of chopped green peppers
    2 beef bouillon cubes
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    2 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. pepper

    Brown hamburg and drain. Add remaning ingrediants and bring to a bouil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 min. until peppers are tender.

  • eandhl
    13 years ago

    I always did some with the center cleaned out, washed and drained well then stacked in freezer bags for stuffed peppers. It was easier to do than making the stuffed peppers when I was doing a lot of freezing & canning from the garden.

  • lakemayor
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks, All ideas are great. I think I'm going to try the stuffed pepper soup, and freeze some whole like many of you described.

    lindac, You can make pepper jelly using green peppers? Does anyone have the recipe?

  • nandina
    13 years ago

    Another recipe which freezes well. Here is the method...

    ITALIAN SAUSAGE, GREEN PEPPER AND ONIONS

    A large frying pan with cover
    At least four large onions, thinly sliced
    Lots of green pepper, thinly sliced
    4 cloves garlic, chopped
    Twelve mild Italian sausage or more. Can be hot variety if you desire.
    Salt and pepper

    Two turns of EVO in frying pan. Add all ingredients and simmer slowly until onions and peppers are soft, turning sausage to brown a bit. Add sherry to the pan so that it comes up to one half the height of the sausage. Place cover on pan leaving it is slightly ajar. Simmer until the liquid is reduced and thickens, stirring every once in awhile.

    To freeze package in serving sizes.

    Serve on hot dog rolls which have been buttered on the inside and browned in a frying pan.

  • coconut_nj
    13 years ago

    LOL Chase. Day late and dollar short, eh?

    We are having about the last of the eggplants here so that reminded me that I also make ratatouille for the freezer this time of year using up the bounty of green peppers, tomatoes and basil. Love a bowl of rat stew on rice in the winter.

  • carmen_grower_2007
    13 years ago

    Saute multicolored sweet peppers with onions and mushrooms in butter for a pretty side dish.

  • lakemayor
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Nandina, I love the idea of making the onion, peppers and sausage and freezing. I love to put that on buns and eat. That will be great in the winter.

    Carmen.grower, I love the idea of a side dish also.

    I used to stuff peppers and freeze for my father and mother-in-law also.

    I'm still looking for the recipe for the green pepper jelly that lindac referred to, does anyone have a recipe?

    Karen

  • hawk307
    13 years ago

    Karen:
    You can bake them in your Broiler put them in a pot with lid, until cool and peel the Skins.
    Make sliced Roasted Peppers in EVOO with Garlic and Spices.
    I freeze them in a Shallow container. If I want Peppers and Eggs , I break off a piece.
    ****************************************

    Or you can make Peppers Prelibato
    ************************************

    Here is a recipe for a Pepper dish I made up a while back.
    I used a very large Green Bell Pepper, cut in half.
    ************************************************************
    Lou's Open Face Stuffed Pepper Prelibato ( Pepper Exquisite )

    Use your favorite stuffing.
    I used stuffing with par cooked Sausage.

    You can also use seafood. Use your wildest imagination.
    Maybe you better not ?????
    Lay the two halves of Pepper on an oiled baking tin or
    whatever you prefer.
    Lay Provolone Cheese on the pepper and Pile on the Stuffing.
    Lay more Provolone on top of the stuffing.
    Put sliced Tomatoes on that and sprinkle with
    Garlic Powder, Onion Powder,Black Pepper and
    a little of Old Bay Seasoning (optional)

    Finale : Lay some Bacon strips across the top.
    Roast in a 350 Degree Oven for about 15 minutes or
    until the peppers are as tender as you like them.
    ENJOY !!!
    *****************************

    I wrap the finished peppers in plastic wrap and into a shallow container, to freeze.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Stuffing
    1 Celery stalk, (10in. Piece ) and 1/2 of a Med. l onion (chopped small) and
    Cooked in Micro Wave until tender (about 2 1/2 min.)

    In a large Bowl mix:

    1 1/2 cups of small bread cubes
    1cup of Italian Bread crumbs

    1 tablesp. Parsley Flakes
    2 tablesp. Of Parmesan or Romano grated cheese
    1 teasp. Of Onion Powder
    1/2 teasp. Of Garlic Powder
    1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
    Salt to taste ( 1/2 teaspoon to start )

    1 piece of Italian Sausage 10 in. long, skinned and
    cut into small pieces. Sautee till medium rare.
    Add the cooked Onion and Celery.
    Put 1 egg into a cup of chicken stock (or Chicken Soup Base )
    beat well and mix this into the other ingredients. Add a little water,
    if the mixture is too dry.

  • chase_gw
    13 years ago

    Karen you can make Pepper Jelly from Green or Red peppers. No change to the recipes, slightly different flavour.

    I make both "red" and "green" and use them at Christmas for that holiday look! LOL

    So if you have a red pepper jelly recipe you like just sub green peppers. If you don;t have a pepper jelly recipe Annie's is very good. Can't find the Habaneros , not to worry and hot pepper will do, sorry Annie :)


    Big Batch Habanero Gold (Carol Calls It Hot N Sweet Confetti Jelly)

    1 Cup minced dried apricots (1/8" dice)
    Note: Could use dried peaches or pears instead.
    1 1/4 total cups minced red sweet pepper and -minced red onion (1/8" dice), approximately half-and-half.
    1/4 Cup Habanero peppers
    Note: For extra-hot increase Habaneros to 1/2 cup and reduce
    1 1/2 Cup white vinegar
    6 Cup sugar
    1 3-oz. pouch liquid pectin

    Prep apricots, peppers and onion. Place in a large, stainless or other non-reactive pot. Add sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil and cook 5 minutes. Pull off the burner; allow to cool, cover and let sit overnight.

    Stir occasionally if convenient.~

    Note: 4-6 hours would be plenty, so the time doesn't need to be any greater than the soaking time for apricots in the original
    Next day, bring the mixture back to the boil. Stir in liquid pectin.
    Boil hard 1 minute. Pull off the heat. If necessary, skim foam. (I did need to skim a bit.) Let cool 2 minutes, stirring to distribute solids.
    Pour into jars. Stir to distribute and remove air bubbles. Do the usual with the jars and lids, BWB 10 minutes.~

    When jars are sealed, "agitate" to distribute solids throughout the jelly.

    Yield: 6 8-oz. jars. ~

  • nandina
    13 years ago

    Do a search on this Forum for Hot Pepper Jelly recipes. You should find many variations which have been posted over the years as we all love it and have our own special recipe. Any of those recipes will work using just green peppers along with hot peppers. Sweet red peppers are not necessary but add the pleasing red color to the jelly. But, green is okay. Will taste the same.

  • alicewondering
    9 years ago

    Hi everybody! Just joined after reading this thread which I realize is quite old, but am hoping for some help anyway. All of these posts are so helpful but I have one question. Nothing is mentioned about blanching the peppers before freezing. Am I to understand that green peppers can be frozen completely raw with no need for blanching, whether they are being frozen whole, halved, sliced, or chopped/diced? I've just started vegetable gardening again after a many-years-long hiatus and I have a bumper crop of green bell peppers!

  • bettyd_z7_va
    9 years ago

    Alice, I never blanch mine.

  • alicewondering
    9 years ago

    Thank you bettyd!