Proper preparation of hot pepper for winter storage will allow you to feast on a piquant vegetable until the next harvest. These fruits will serve as a wonderful seasoning for dishes and will not require a lot of storage space. About what recipes for harvesting burning vegetables exist, is described in this article.

The benefits of hot pepper

Everyone knows about the hotness of this vegetable, but not everyone knows about its beneficial properties. The pods get their burning taste due to the capsaicin alkaloid contained in them. In addition to giving the dishes a piquant spice, capsaicin is also known outside the kitchen - for example, it is it that contributes to hair growth and the development of healthy hair follicles.

With a cold, this vegetable will be even healthier than lemon, because it contains twice as much vitamin C. In addition, it is rich in vitamins of groups A and B, and also contains sugar, oils and carotene. However, all these substances are stored in the fruit only in raw form.

This vegetable is also a good antidepressant, as it helps relieve stress. This is due to the stimulation of the production of endorphins in the body, which can also lead to the relief of pain of various kinds. The use of hot pepper pods improves blood circulation and is a good means of preventing atherosclerosis and blood clots, increases appetite and improves digestion.

Did you know? The common belief that this product can cause stomach ulcers or gastritis is wrong. Recently, scientists at Seoul University of Yongsuh revealed that this product, on the contrary, destroys pathogenic bacteria that provoke the occurrence of ulcers.

This vegetable also helps in the fight against insomnia, and is also able to prevent cancer. Japanese scientists have proven the beneficial effects of the product on the body in the treatment of asthma and some allergic reactions. In this case, capsaicin is used in various pharmacy products.

In folk healing, this product is used to treat joints and back. Spicy vegetable is well established in dietetics, as it improves metabolic processes in the stomach, which contributes to fat burning and weight loss. 100 g of burning fruits contain only 40 kcal.

How to prepare hot peppers for harvesting for the winter

You need to collect hot pepper when it is fully ripe and turns red. It is not recommended to pluck it with green, as it will be stored worse, it will have less vitamin C and carotene than in red. Ripe fruits also contain many substances that are preservatives.

In order for the pods to be well stored, you need to leave only the best copies and select all the spoiled ones. To do this, you need to decompose the pods in a cool room in one layer and leave them to lie for about a week. Then all the fruits must be reviewed and selected damaged.

It is worth noting that this piquant vegetable does not require special preparation for storage. So that he lay down until the next season, just wash the pods and remove moisture from them. But sometimes it is necessary to clean the product from seeds, because with some types of storage it can become more bitter - it is the seeds that will cause this sharpness.

Important! Fresh fruits are best stored in a dark room and constantly sorted out. Fresh they can lie no more than 2 months.

Before starting workpieces, peppers need to be thoroughly washed and cleaned of residual soil, insects and other dirt. Rinse the fruits best by placing them for a couple of minutes in a basin with a little warm water. During this time, the contaminants will come off the vegetables, after which they must be washed again in cold water and dried with a towel.

In addition to simply cleaning the fruit, you must also follow the recipe. If you want to cut vegetables in half, then you must definitely remove the core from them and cleanse the seeds. Only then can we proceed to further conservation.

Hot pepper recipes with step-by-step cooking

A large number of people grow hot pepper in their areas. This vegetable is to many's liking, regardless of gender and age, and is able to add piquancy to a variety of dishes. However, it must be prepared carefully and strictly according to the recipe, otherwise your favorite snack may become unusable.

Important! All work with hot peppers is best done with gloves in order to avoid burns on the skin, and you also can not rub your face and eyes. In case of severe burning, it is necessary to wipe the skin with alcohol, wash with soap and spread with cream.

Additional ways to preserve hot peppers for the winter

In addition to canning and pickling, there are quite a few alternative ways of harvesting hot pepper for the winter.

The main ones are:

1. Simple drying. Pods can be stored intact and without any processing. To harvest these vegetables, simply hang them by the tails of a rope and dry them. This can be done both on the balcony and simply in the room. This method is the simplest and least cost, besides, the sharpness of the fruit will not go anywhere, and the appearance of the workpiece can deliver aesthetic pleasure.
2. Seasoning. For its preparation, it is necessary to twist the pods in a meat grinder, and put the resulting slurry on a baking sheet and dry in the oven. After this, the mass must be cooled and laid out in bags.
3. Drying in the oven. You can also dry a spicy vegetable whole. In this case, the pods should be laid out on a baking sheet covered with paper, and dried for about 2 hours in the oven. At the same time, they must be turned over.
4. Canning in oil. For such storage, the pods must first be washed and put in a sterile jar. Then fill the workpiece with sunflower oil and roll up the lid. If desired, spices can be added to such preservation. Such peppers are stored for up to 2 months in a pantry or closet.
5. Cold storage. In this case, the pods must be thoroughly washed and cleaned of seeds. Then place the vegetables in a sterile jar and pour brine or marinade, depending on personal preference or the recipe chosen. You can store ground pods in this way.
6. Freezing. Wash and dry the pods before freezing. To reduce bitterness, you can pour boiling water over the fruits. You can freeze them both whole and chopped to your taste. For convenience, it is better to pack the product in bags and remove air from them as much as possible. Such peppers can be stored from 6 months to 1 year.

Basic rules for storing blanks

In order for your workpieces to be stored as long as possible, and the pods not to lose their useful and taste, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Fresh pepper pods should be stored in plastic bags, in which holes for ventilation must first be made, or in small boxes.
2. The storage temperature of fresh vegetables should be between 0 and 2 ° C. If you keep them in the room, then the air temperature in it should not be higher than 20 ° C, however, with increasing temperature, the shelf life will decrease. Humidity - from 85 to 93%.
3. Drying the product with whole pods is better in a dark and dry place, then it will dry with minimal loss in the number of pods.
4. Completely dried fruits can be stored both indoors and on the balcony. In this form, they are able to lie until the next season.
5. For the longest shelf life, it is best to grind dried vegetables. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that burning dust does not get into the eyes. Ground hot pepper should be stored in a dry airtight container so that moisture does not get there. You can also pour it into whole bags and place it in the freezer.

Did you know? If you have bitten off a piece of too hot pepper, you should not wash it down with water, as it will increase burning sensation even more. To neutralize the “fire” in the mouth, it is better to drink milk, yogurt or eat a slice of lemon.

Useful Tips

In addition to the basic rules for storing pepper, experienced housewives are guided by simple recommendations:

1. Dry peppers can be stored in ordinary jars under a capron lid.
2. If the room where you decided to store the pods has increased humidity, it is better to move them to another place, as they may cause rot or mold.
3. Hot peppers can be cooked in the same jar with other vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and eggplant. This will improve the taste of the workpiece and add piquancy to vegetables.
4. Small pods can be rolled up whole and not cut into pieces.
5. If you like very sharp fruits, or vice versa you want less sharpness, then you can adjust their pungency. So, an unripe pod will be less sharp than red. And if you do not remove seeds from the fruit, then the burning will increase.

Hot peppers are ideal for use all year round as a complement to various dishes. He will give them a special taste and aroma. And so that there is no shortage in this piquant vegetable all winter, it is important to learn how to harvest it correctly and create optimal conditions for its storage.