There are many types of chili peppers such as chili pepper, chili padi, green chili, horn chili… Preserving fresh chili peppers is a concern for many housewives. Placing chili peppers in the refrigerator will quickly dry them out or cause them to rot. Dried chili peppers lose their taste when added to dishes, while rotten chili peppers cannot be used.
To preserve chili peppers fresh for a long time, you can follow these steps:
Choose chili peppers: Choose fresh, evenly colored, and smooth peppers. The stems of the peppers should be green and thick. When held, the peppers should feel firm and juicy, not crushed or dented. These are freshly picked peppers.

Steps to preserve fresh chili peppers with cooking oil and plastic bottles
Step 1: Remove excess moisture from the outer skin of the peppers: When you buy chili peppers, take them out of the basket or tray to let them air dry and remove any water from the outer skin. Moist peppers will quickly spoil. Discard any shriveled peppers. Avoid peppers that are crushed.
Step 2: Remove part of the stem: After removing any shriveled peppers, use scissors to cut the stem of the chili pepper if it is long. Leave the stem close to the top of the pepper. If the stem is left too long, it will rub against other peppers and cause them to spoil faster. However, do not remove the entire stem as the tip of the pepper will quickly rot, allowing bacteria to enter.


Preserving chili peppers in the freezer
Step 1: Select the peppers: Remove any peppers that are infested or rotten to avoid affecting other peppers.
Step 2: Remove the stem of the peppers: Remove the stem of the peppers so they take up less space when stored. For freezer storage, you can completely remove the stems of the peppers. Then rinse them clean and let the peppers air-dry.
Step 3: Place the peppers in specialized ziplock bags: Put the peppers in food-grade plastic bags or storage containers. Then place them in the freezer of the refrigerator. With this method, the peppers remain juicy and don’t dry out for a year. When using, take them out and they will be frozen. Cut them directly into dipping sauces or dishes with a knife or scissors, and they will not become mushy or watery.
If you store the peppers in the refrigerator, they will spoil due to moisture or become dried, resulting in dry peppers. Dried peppers lose their fragrance and taste different when added to dipping sauces or dishes compared to fresh peppers.