How To Store Poblano Peppers The Right Way
Poblanos are green-colored, mildly spicy peppers, which are less spicy than a jalapeno pepper. It is often described as a fruity pepper with a kick. These are frequently roasted then added to sauces, salsa, chili, or baked. They are also added to grilled steak and quesadillas together with onions and garlic. Because of their uses in the kitchen, poblano peppers are now considered as one of the staple spices for cooking. That’s why you must know how to store poblano peppers.
To store poblano peppers, put them unwashed in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days. On the other hand, roasted, peeled peppers can be stored in a closed container for a few days in the refrigerator. Raw or roasted poblano peppers can be frozen for six months.
There is no definite shelf-life for these peppers, it depends on their storage method. A cooler storage environment like a fridge can extend its shelf life for a few weeks. But if you store them in an even colder environment like a fridge, their shelf life can be extended up to months.
Best way to store poblano peppers
Fridge
To maximize the shelf-life of Poblano peppers while maintaining their freshness, I recommend you to do the following:
- Dry the Poblano peppers before storing them. Sometimes peppers that came from the grocery store are wet due to the aisle misters. If they are a little wet when you bring them home, dry them with the use of a paper towel before storing them away.
- Once the peppers are dried, get a plastic bag, then put them inside. Seal or tie off the plastic bag. The sealed plastic bag will create a mild humid environment that can help maintain the freshness of the Poblano peppers.
- Put the Poblano peppers in the fridge’s crisper drawer. Place them near the front of the crisper drawer, because these are is slightly warmer than the middle or rear of the drawer
Freezer
- Wash the peppers thoroughly to remove excess dirt and debris. Give the peppers a good washing before you store them as they can be immediately used after removing them in the freezer because they are clean already.
- After washing them, dry them off until they are completely dry. It is recommended to wipe them down with paper towels then let them dry for an hour to ensure they are completely dry.
- Once dry, open a large freezer-safe Ziplock bag and fill it up with Poblano peppers. Once they are packed carefully, put them in the freezer and leave them until you are ready to use them.
For maximum freshness, use the frozen Poblano peppers within six months after freezing. Nonetheless, they are still safe to consume if store for more than six months; however, they are at greater risk of developing freezer burn.
How To Dry Store Poblano Peppers
Drying poblano peppers can be done in two ways: indoors or outdoors. Another is with the use of a dehydrator. The hang dry method is the easiest way to dry poblano chilies and can be used for 6 months.
Indoor
Things you need:
- Fresh poblano peppers
- Water
- Kitchen towel
- Fishing line
- Sticks
- Needle
Instructions:
- Wash the peppers to get rid of the dirt and dust on them. Then dry them thoroughly with the use of a kitchen towel.
- Take the fishing line and knot the one end, so that the chilies will not slide off.
- Take another end of the line and thread into the needle.
- Take the biggest poblano pepper. Insert the needle through the stem of the pepper then pull the needle through the stem.
- Pass the pepper until the end knot of the fishing line.
- Take another large pepper, then repeat the same step.
- Do this process until the peppers finish from largest to smallest.
- Remove the needle from the fishing line and knot another end of the line.
- Hang it in a humid-free place. You can dry it in the sunny window or you can also hang it in the cabinet or pantry.
- Wait for a few weeks to dry completely. After a few weeks, you will notice the color of the pepper change from dark green to red. The texture also gets wrinkly.
Outdoor
If you want to dry these peppers outdoor, there are some drawbacks that you may consider. You can dry your peppers fast in the oven and dehydrator or wait for a couple of weeks to complete the drying process.
Nonetheless, here are the things you will need:
- Water
- Paper towel
- Poblano peppers
- Garden Twine
Instructions:
- Take the fresh poblano pepper with stem and dry them with the use of a paper towel. Make sure there is no moisture left.
- String the pepper with garden twine and then loop it around the stem of the pepper.
- Tighten the loop but make sure the stem will not be cut down.
- Take another pepper and repeat the same process. Make sure there is at least two to three inches allowance between the two peppers. This helps to get enough air circulation around the peppers.
- String all the peppers and hang them in the dry and warm location, which allows direct sunlight.
- After a couple of days, peppers will get wrinkled and may fall from the knot. So observe them periodically.
- If there is a possibility of rain, move the pepper string indoor. Ensure that peppers will not get soaked in the rain.
- The peppers will dry in 2 weeks and ready to use or for long-term storage.
Drying Poblano Peppers With A Dehydrator
You can use the dehydrator for drying the poblanos. This method is simple.
Things you will need
- Poblano peppers
- Water
- Dehydrator
- Kitchen towel
- Sharp knife
Instruction
- Rinse the poblano pepper with cold and water. Clean the dust and dirt on it.
- Make it dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
- Remove the stem of the peppers if you are going to dry them on the dehydrator
- Take the dehydrator tray and place the chilies in a single layer of the tray.
- If you want to dry them fast, slice the peppers in half using a sharp knife
- Set the temperature at 100F then wait for a few days to dry the chilies.
- Check the dehydrator intermittently for the drying process and safety purposes.
- Once you are done with the drying process, your dried poblano peppers are ready to store and use in the winter.
Looking for the best dehydrators?
Check my previous post.
How to store dried poblano peppers
You can store the dried poblano peppers in a glass jar with a tightly sealed lid or airtight container. This helps in keeping the freshness and flavor of the chilies for a longer period.
Properly stored chilies can be stored for up to 6 months, whereas you can also store ground pepper flakes with the same process.
If you do not have an airtight container, use a vacuum seal or ziplock bag to store dry peppers.
How To Tell When Poblano Peppers Are Bad
To determine if Poblano peppers are starting to go bad, look for some key characteristics. Below are some common signs that the peppers starting to spoil.
Wrinkled skin
You know the pepper is losing its freshness when the skin becomes wrinkled. The wrinkling is due to the loss of moisture of the pepper and then dries out. Instead of a firm and crispy texture, a spoiling Poblano will have a squishy texture.
Soft spot
When feeling the pepper, you will notice some soft spots on its surface, which feel soft or give under a bit of pressure, discard the pepper already. These soft parts are early signs of rot.
Dark spot
Dark spots sometimes look like dirt but are hard to remove. It is an indication that the Poblano pepper has a disease and might start to spoil or affect the taste.
Fuzzy mold
If you notice furry-looking patches on the Poblano pepper, it is a common form of mold that often develops on the produce. It is common for peppers to start growing mold around the stem, so look in that area first.
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