Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Peppers And Onions

As the gardening season begins to wind down in the northeast, it is time to start harvesting everything you have left and prepare to store it for the winter


We were inundated with delicious peppers this year. We had red, yellow and green bell peppers and sweet cubanelle's.  So we decided to make peppers and onions.

 










Start with heating your pan with some olive oil.  Cut your peppers and onions any way you like.  They don't have to be fancy.  Saute them until they are still al dente.  You want the peppers to still have a crunch when you freeze them so when they are defrosted they are not soggy.  No need to add any seasonings here. 











Also, don't forget to save the pepper seeds for your seed bank.



Chill peppers and onion as is in the freezer until they are just frozen.  This will take some of the moisture out so they will be able be food saved.  One item or "gadget" I recommend everyone own is the food saver vacuum sealer.  Meats should not sit in the styrofoam packaging you get from the supermarket.  It is unhealthy.  You might notice meats that have been in your freezer for a while not only have freezer burn but the meat starts to get discolored.  With the food saver, it will stay fresher and longer in your freezer.  It takes all the air out so when you freeze anything there is no freezer burn and the freshness is sealed in.  This enables you to buy in bulk, divide into portions and freeze.   

Now, divide the peppers and onions into dinner size portions and food save for the winter.  With a laundry grade sharpie (other sharpie's tend to run when they are wet), mark the ingredients and date each package. Then you can just  pull one out and cook as normal.  Whether you add sausage or steak, or just serve as a side dish it will be delicious and fresh because it is all from your very own garden!

13 comments:

Barbara said...

Oh my that is alot of peppers you harvested. I love sausage and peppers. I never thought to do them ahead of time and food save them. Thanks!

Stephanie said...

I love my food saver!

all.things.fadra said...

Ahhh. Looks like you are full of all the food knowledge I need! Will definitely be back!

Megan said...

This would be great with sliced steak and chinese vegetables. Great idea!

Jeanette Nyberg said...

I'm soooo close to buying a foodsaver. I honestly think I'd have more fun preparing everything and sucking all of the air out than using it later. What brand do you use?

Michele said...

Craftwhack,

We use the FoodSaver Brand. You can get it at any Bed, Bath & Beyond Store or Warehouse Store like Costco or BJ's. It is worth it. You will be amazed at how much more you can fit in your freezer once everything has been vacuum sealed.

LBDDiaries said...

Well duh. Don't know why I didn't think about saving our seeds - good thing I still have some hot peppers left. This was a timely post in many ways. And my poor freezer needs better space management so now I will look into a food saver! Thanks!

Mary said...

We're still struggling trying to learn to garden but a friend brought us tons of peppers from his. Now I know what to do with them!

Life In A Pink Fibro said...

Hmm. I've been thinking about whether I need a food saver. Apparently I do!

Thanks for popping by the Fibro today.

Morgan said...

yum! What wonderful bounty from your garden!

Thanks for visiting Snapshots!

Maria said...

What a cute blog! Thanks for stopping by mine.

Maria xx
www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com

JM said...

I love peppers and I'm sure yours taste delicious! I will eat them any way they come raw or cooked. They are just such a refreshing vegetable.

Unknown said...

This tool looks like it would save a lot of food from going back. What wonderful peppers you have!