Simple and tasty bell pepper preparations for the winter table

Frozen pepper

One of the easiest ways to preserve the beneficial properties of any vegetable is freezing. In winter, bell peppers can be used to prepare various dishes, so there are several ways to freeze them.

For salads, stews and soups

The easiest and fastest way to prepare sweet peppers for the winter, if the housewife plans to use it as a dressing for fresh salads, meat and vegetable stews, as well as various soups. To do this, the fruits are washed, seeded and cut. The seeds from bell peppers must be removed, otherwise they will add bitterness to the dish! The cutting method is chosen as desired - into cubes, strips or rings.All that remains is to put the pepper pieces in bags and put them in the freezer. With this method of harvesting, peppers retain their unique aroma, texture and almost all vitamins.

For stuffing

At any time of the year, and especially in winter, it is very convenient to make delicious stuffed peppers using pre-frozen peppers.

To prepare them, carefully cut off the “lid” of the peppers, remove the seeds and blanch the fruits in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes. Then you need to wait a little so that excess moisture drains from the vegetables, and you can freeze them. To make the peppers take up less space in the freezer, you should fold them into a “matryoshka” shape, placing them one behind the other. And don’t forget to pack the finished “matryoshka” in a plastic bag before freezing.

Baked peppers

For winter salads, it is very convenient to freeze not only raw, but also already cooked peppers. To do this, they are placed in the oven for half an hour at a temperature of +180°. The baked peppers are allowed to cool and the skins are removed. This is not at all difficult to do with your hands and a sharp knife. Then the fruits are cleared of seeds. All that remains is to chop the peppers, put them in a bag and place them in the freezer.

Freezing stuffed peppers

Many people love stuffed peppers. This is a tasty and satisfying dish. When frozen, stuffed peppers keep well in the freezer for up to six months. At any time when you don’t have time or the necessary products on hand, you can very quickly make a delicious dinner for the whole family. You just need to cook the peppers in the microwave, in a slow cooker, in a frying pan or in the oven. A real lifesaver for those who are always busy!

To prepare stuffed peppers for the winter, wash them, cut off the “lid” and clean the inside of the seeds. The filling is made to taste.For vegetarians, a mixture of fried vegetables (carrots, onions, garlic, herbs and aromatic roots) and half-cooked rice is suitable. For those who do not adhere to a vegetarian diet, it is worth adding minced meat or pieces of finely chopped meat to the filling. You can also stuff the peppers with crushed boiled potatoes with herbs, minced liver with buckwheat, fried mushrooms and rice with chopped crab sticks. You need to add salt and pepper to the filling!

The peppers are tightly stuffed with the finished filling and frozen. In winter, it is better to defrost stuffed peppers not at room temperature, but in the refrigerator. Then they won't lose their shape. You can prepare them in different ways. For example, put the peppers with the filling on top in a saucepan, add water, add tomato paste and mayonnaise and simmer for 30-40 minutes over low heat.

Pickled peppers

Pickled bell peppers are popular in any family. The finished product can be used as an appetizing appetizer, a dressing for salads and stews, and also as an excellent savory side dish for fish and meat dishes. If the fruits are pickled whole, they can be used to make delicious stuffed peppers in winter.

Bell peppers of different colors are selected for pickling. First they need to be washed. If you plan to pickle whole fruits, cut off the “lid” and carefully clean the inside of the seeds. In all other cases, peppers are cut as desired - into halves, strips or rings. After this, the fruits are blanched by immersing them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Then the peppers are placed in previously prepared clean jars, filling them to the top. For 3 kg of sweet peppers you will need three 3 liter jars.

To prepare the marinade you need: 1.2-1.3 liters of water, 1 tbsp. l. granulated sugar, 2 tbsp. l.salt, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup 9% vinegar, 4 peas each of black and allspice, and 2 cloves. All ingredients are added to the water and the marinade is boiled for 2-3 minutes. Then the bay leaf, peppercorns and cloves are removed from it. The hot marinade is poured into jars with laid out bell peppers and immediately rolled up.

You can also marinate pre-stuffed peppers. The taste of sweet peppers filled with vegetarian fillings is especially delicate - without the use of meat. Get acquainted with the step-by-step cooking recipe pickled peppers stuffed with cabbage and carrots, available on our website Make it delicious!.

Housewives really like pickling because it is a creative process. The marinade for peppers can be made in different ways, and this will give the finished product a completely unexpected flavor profile.

The channel “Tasty, Simple and Healthy” talks about the secrets of preparing pickled peppers with honey and butter.

Cooking paprika

Paprika is one of the most popular seasonings in the world. It is added to soups, main courses, salads, jellies, spicy sauce and baked goods. To prepare this seasoning for the winter, sweet peppers must be dried. From 1 kg of fresh bell pepper you get about 50 g of paprika.

For drying, select ripe red fruits. They are washed, laid out one at a time on a table or tray and left for a couple of days at room temperature or outside to dry slightly. Then the peppers are peeled from the stem and seeds and cut into slices. The pieces are strung on a thread and dried in a dry, ventilated place where direct rays of the sun do not penetrate, for example, in the attic. You can speed up the drying process by placing the peppers in an electric dryer or oven at +60°.If the oven has a ventilation mode, it must be turned on.

Dried peppers do not bend, but break. If the product is not completely dried, it may become moldy. After the peppers have reached the desired condition, they are left in whole pieces or ground into powder, for example, using a regular coffee grinder. Store paprika in a dry place, in glass jars tied with cloth. When properly stored, dried pepper seasoning retains its flavor properties and beneficial substances for two years.

Adjika

Spicy seasonings are loved in every home. And it is no coincidence that the aromatic adjika, whose homeland is considered to be Abkhazia, has taken root in the cuisine of many countries. Traditional adjika does not include tomatoes and sweet peppers, but housewives have learned to cook adjika in different ways. Bell pepper makes this aromatic and healthy seasoning more juicy and at the same time reduces its spiciness.

There are many recipes on how to make adjika at home. In most of them, the ingredients are boiled or stewed. However, during heat treatment, adjika loses a lot of useful vitamins, and especially vitamin C, which we need so much in winter.

Fortunately, there are ways to prepare adjika without cooking. For this winter preparation you will need: 2 kg of bell pepper and 150 g of hot pepper, 200 g of garlic, 2 tbsp. l. salt, 8 tbsp. l. sugar and 300 ml vinegar. Sweet and hot peppers are washed and cleaned of stems and seeds. Garlic is also peeled. Then two types of pepper and garlic are minced through a meat grinder or crushed in a blender. Salt, sugar and vinegar are added to the finished mixture, everything is thoroughly mixed and placed in jars. You need to store the finished adjika in the refrigerator.

Learn about the step-by-step cooking recipe spicy adjika with horseradish, apples and garlic available on our website Make it delicious!.

Bell pepper caviar with vegetables

Vegetable caviar with sweet pepper is a very popular dish. No matter how much you make this kind of caviar, they eat it very quickly! They love to eat vegetable caviar as a side dish and as an independent dish. It’s also convenient to simply spread on bread, and a quick snack is ready! In order for the caviar to taste better, it is advisable to use fleshy varieties of bell pepper.

For 2.5 kg of pepper you will need 300 g of carrots, tomatoes and onions, one root of parsley and celery, as well as 1 tsp. allspice and ground black pepper. Bell peppers are baked in the oven and peeled, stems and seeds removed. Finely chopped roots are fried in a frying pan with onions until golden brown. Tomatoes, peppers and carrots are crushed in a blender, onions with roots, ground pepper and salt are added. The resulting mixture is placed in a saucepan or deep frying pan and simmered, stirring, for 10 minutes, and then placed in jars. Jars of caviar must be sterilized: half-liter jars for half an hour, and liter jars for 40 minutes.

Vegetable pilaf with sweet pepper

This preparation for the winter will be useful in any home, because the finished pilaf will simply need to be heated up without wasting time and effort. This is very convenient for always busy housewives. And preparing this hearty vegetarian dish does not take much time or effort.

For pilaf you need to take 1 kg of bell peppers and tomatoes, 0.5 kg of carrots and onions, 1 cup of rice, 4 tbsp. l. 9% vinegar and 1 tbsp. l. sugar and salt. All vegetables are washed, finely chopped, combined with rice and, adding water, cooked over low heat for about an hour. Don't forget salt and sugar! Hot pilaf is placed in sterilized jars and covered with lids.

Sweet pepper jam-sauce

Spicy bell pepper jam is more reminiscent of sweet and sour sauce. It is perfect for dessert and as an addition to fish and meat dishes. In addition, together with toast, savory pastries or croutons, such jam will become an appetizing snack. Traditionally it is made only from red peppers.

The fruits for this winter harvest should not be overripe. For 2 kg of bell pepper you will need 1 glass of water, 0.5 kg of granulated sugar and 2 g of citric acid. The peppers are washed, peeled from stems and seeds and cut into cubes. Place peppers in a saucepan, pour water into it and add granulated sugar and citric acid. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until tender over low heat, remembering to stir. Hot jam is poured into 0.5 liter jars and sealed with lids.

In the video, Elena Bazhenova will share simple tips on how you can make delicious sweet pepper jam and sauce yourself.