Chili is a typical spice in family meals, but many people buy chili without knowing how to preserve it, resulting in ruined or rotten chili. Here are some ways to preserve fresh chili so it remains as juicy as when it was picked. There are numerous types of chili, including chili pepper, bell pepper, green chili, and horn chili.
Many housewives want to preserve fresh chile. Putting chili in the refrigerator causes it to decay quickly or turn bad. Chili peppers lose flavor when added to meals, and rotten chili peppers cannot be used.
Choose chili peppers
Choose fresh, bright-colored, smooth, and firm chili peppers. There are also green and thick chili peppers. When you pick them up, they should feel firm and juicy, not flattened or dented. These are newly harvested chili peppers.
Steps to preserve fresh chili with cooking oil and plastic bottles
Step 1
Drain the chili off the exterior skin: When you buy chili, place it on a basket, rack, or tray to keep it from getting wet on the outside skin. When moist, the chili rots quickly. Remove the wilting ones. Avoid bruised ones.
Step 2
Remove part of the stem: Remove the wilted chili, then use scissors to trim the stem short if it is lengthy. You leave the stalk around the fruit’s tip. If you leave the chili peppers out for too long, they will rub against each other, leaving scratches and speeding up the spoilage process. However, do not unscrew the knob since the chili’s tip will quickly deteriorate, allowing bacteria to enter.
Step 3
Put the chile peppers into a plastic bottle: Add enough frying oil to completely coat the chili peppers. The chili peppers are then placed in discarded plastic bottles, such as mineral water bottles or filtered water bottles, rinsed, and allowed to dry. Then, carefully shut the lid and store these chili bottles in the refrigerator; the chili will stay fresh for half a year without losing water, deteriorating, or decomposing. The plastic bottle helps prevent the chile from evaporating. The layer of cooking oil forms a protective barrier, keeping the water in the chili pulp. You can store it in the refrigerator for 1-2 months without worry of spoilage or rotting.
Preserving chili in the refrigerator
Step 1
Pick the chili: Remove the bad chili and let it not affect the other chili peppers.
Step 2
Remove the chili stem: To save storage space, remove the chili stem. You can remove the chili’s stem using the freezer preservation method. Then you wash it clean and allow the chili to drain.
Step 3
Place the chili in a suitable plastic zip bag or food storage box: Store it in the refrigerator. This procedure ensures that the chili remains plump all year without becoming mushy. When you pull it out, the chili will freeze. Cut it with a knife or scissors and place it directly in the dipping sauce bowl or plates to prevent it from becoming mushy and wet.
If you keep the chili in the refrigerator, it will either rot since it is wet or absorb all of the water, resulting in dry chili. When added to sauces or foods, the chili becomes fragrant and has a distinct flavor from fresh chili.
