HOw To FLASH FREEZING JALAPENOS

Look!

Peaking out from under the leaves!  

It was our first jalapeño of the season...

Then we got three more the week after that and last weekend as if by magic, there were six more.  So we're getting a little over half a dozen jalapeños per week now (from one plant!).  Not enough to do a major project with but enough to figure out a way to use them before they go bad.  So I decided that flash freezing some chopped up would give us some to use with cooking all year long.  

First thing I did was get them washed and dried.  I got the gloves out (always be careful when handling peppers!). They are the easy way to "clean up" when done and not risk spicy eyes!

First, I sliced them in half...

...and then used a spoon to scrape out the ribs and most of the seeds.  We like to leave some seeds so they still have some heat.  

I covered a small baking sheet with parchment paper...

...and then finished dicing up the jalapeños.  Next, I put them on a single layer over the parchment lined baking sheet and popped them in the freezer.

This is what they look like after an hour.  
These freeze (and likewise, thaw) very quickly.  

Then I just put them in a freezer safe bowl and they are ready to be used...

  

Flash frozen chopped jalapeños in bulk

...in omelets, scrambled eggs, cornbread, soup, stews, or just about anywhere you want to add a bit of heat.  With them being flash frozen like this, you can just measure out what you need and keep the rest frozen.  Or instead of measuring, just grab a handful and toss them in your recipe.

Stay spicy!