How to store fresh chili peppers so they last longer

After washing fresh chili peppers, put them in a sealable container and add edible salt; this way they can be stored for about two years. You can also sun-dry the fresh chili peppers, then put them in a clean bag and store them in a dry place. You can also add water to a crisper box, place the chili peppers with the stems facing down, without a lid, without a bag and without plastic wrap, and keep them fresh in the refrigerator.

If you have a large amount of fresh chili peppers, you can store them in a cold storage facility:

1. The warehouse must be strictly disinfected with formaldehyde, peracetic acid, bleaching powder, etc., by fumigation and spraying for thorough disinfection.

2. Harvest nearby, choosing plots with few diseases and vigorous growth; the chili pepper fruits are required to be plump, firm in texture, intact, and with dark glossy skin, and inferior fruits and diseased fruits should be removed. Pack them in baskets or boxes, and try to avoid collisions and squeezing during transport.

3. Soak in a fungicidal preservative for 2—3 minutes to remove surface pathogens and provide a protective layer for the chili peppers. After drying, put them into storage for pre-cooling.

4. Pre-cooling must be thorough and rapid.

5. Bagging: Put the pre-cooled chili peppers into chili pepper freshness-retaining bags, 5-10 kg per bag, and tie the openings. The freshness-retaining bags should be moisture-permeable and breathable PE bags to prevent “sweating” and gas poisoning (carbon dioxide). When carbon dioxide reaches 5%, the openings should be untied for ventilation, with a ventilation time of about 1 hour.

6. Cold storage temperature should be controlled at about 8°C, with a temperature difference of 0.5°C.

7. Mold prevention: During storage, pay attention to mold prevention. If mold appears, promptly fumigate with a freshness-retaining smoke agent. If measures are appropriate and conditions are complete, chili peppers can be kept fresh for 3-4 months.

Because the chili peppers available now have basically all been stored in cold storage, it is best to finish eating the chili peppers you buy within a short time; if kept too long, it will not only affect the quality but also make them prone to spoilage.