If you are in a situation where you have way too many serrano peppers, you probably won’t eat them in the next several days. You should not worry because there are a few ways to store them for longer. We will get to each of them in this article.
I know how it is to buy things in bulk and then find out that you don’t need all of them.
If you are curious if you can freeze serrano peppers and how to do that, I will walk you step by step through the process to make sure that you do it properly. Sometimes freezing food is actually trickier than it should be.
Can you freeze serrano peppers?
Yes, you can freeze serrano peppers. To properly do that, you need to slice or chop serrano peppers, take the stem and the seeds out, place them into an airtight container, wrap them tightly in a plastic wrap, or put them into a freezing bag.
Also, you have to wash them very well and let them dry completely before putting them in the freezer.
Properly frozen serrano peppers should last for 12 months, there are big chances they will last even more, but the quality suffers if you keep them for more than 12 months. We recommend you use them before the 3 month mark though.
How to thaw serrano pepper?
To thaw serrano peppers, you need to simply take them out of the freezer, place them in a bowl to keep water from getting everywhere and let them get to room temperature.
If you store them in a big chunk, you should be able to break them and take out only as much as you need, don’t overestimate how much you need. Those peppers are very spicy, it is possible that they may lose a bit of their spiciness when frozen but not that much.
If you somehow thawed more than you need, you can refreeze them but they will be very mushy. IF all you want is just the flavor that might not be a problem.
Read also: Bell Pepper Substitutes
How to store serrano peppers?
There are three main ways to store serrano peppers.
-In a pantry or at room temperature. Serrano peppers will last for 3-5 days if kept at room temperature or in a pantry. This is the best way to keep them if you plan to use them immediately since you will not have to let them thaw or get to room temperature before using them.
Make sure to keep them whole, don’t slice or chop them; otherwise, they will go bad much faster if kept at room temperature.
-In the refrigerator. Whole serrano peppers should last one-two week in the refrigerator. It would be a great idea to keep them in an airtight container or a plastic bag to avoid smell contamination from the other food you have in the fridge.
In this case, as keeping them at room temperature, you should not slice or chop the serrano peppers before.
-In the freezer. Sliced, chopped, or whole Serrano peppers should last for one year in the freezer.
How to choose good serrano peppers?
Serrano peppers, like chili peppers, are edible at any moment of the growing process but keep in mind that the flavor will differ when they fully ripen.
So because of this, you will find them in the market in different sizes and colors.
But let’s see a few criteria you can check for when choosing serrano peppers.
-Color. Serrano peppers go from green to red, yellow, brown, or orange when they fully ripen. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that a green Serrano pepper is worse than a red Serrano pepper since they can be eaten green.
Also, you have more chances to find them green because it is safer to harvest them before changing the color since they get bad quickly.
When checking for the color, it is better to check that the color is strong and without any spots, it doesn’t matter what color it is.
There are chances that a green Serrano pepper will not be as spicy as a red one, but it will probably be more tender.
-Texture. A good Serrano pepper should be firm, without any softness. Also, the tail can be a good indicator. If the tail is soft and has wrinkles, Serrano pepper will probably go bad faster than one with a firm tail.
-Storage. Make sure to not buy fresh, good-looking Serrano peppers stored in the same box as those that are one step away from going bad.
Read also: Why Are Bell Peppers Different Colors ?
What do Serrano peppers taste like?
Serrano peppers taste very similar to jalapenos but just a bit more hot and spicy. So if you want a little stronger jalapeno, you should go for Serrano pepper.
It can be harder to find them in the markets depending on where you live, while jalapenos are everywhere.
The storing process can alter the taste a little bit, but it should not change it that much if done correctly.
Conclusion
You can freeze serrano peppers when freezing them doesn’t matter that much if you slice them before or not. But make sure you don’t slice them when storing them at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
So if you really like Serrano peppers, make sure you choose good ones following the criteria from above and store them properly to enjoy those hot, spicy tasting peppers whenever you need them.