Jalapeno peppers are not only delicious but are good for you and help to keep you healthy. Regrettably, improper selection, handling, and storage can make your tasty peppers with hearty capsaicin flavor quickly go bad. Knowing the answer to the query, “How long do jalapenos last?” ensures that you know how to keep your jalapenos happy for the long term.
Homemakers who know how to keep jalapenos fresh for a long time have extra confidence that they’ll be able to reach for hot peppers when they want them. This guide answers the question, “How long do fresh jalapenos last in the fridge?” and shows you preservation methods you can use to prolong their lifespans for months or even years.
Folks who are wondering, “How long do pickled jalapenos last?” will get answers and guidance. We give you recipes for frozen jalapeños and pickle jalapenos, and you’ll also learn how to properly store fresh jalapeños for use in jalapeño poppers and other treats.
How Long Do Fresh Jalapenos Last in the Fridge?
If you’re new to hot peppers, you probably have trouble telling the difference between Serrano peppers, chili peppers, bell peppers, and banana peppers. They all taste great on nachos, but they have different flavors and require some knowledge to store them properly, especially jalapenos.
Fresh jalapenos are delicious and last for a few days at room temperature and about a week in the fridge. But, how does one select and store jalapenos?
How to Keep Jalapenos Fresh – Selection and Fridge Storage
This section gives you vital assistance in learning how to select only the best peppers from jalapeno plants, the farmers market, or grocery stores.
We also give you pointers on how to get the longest possible life from your fresh jalapenos. With the confidence and experience we offer, you’ll be a pepper expert in no time.
Selecting Your Peppers
With jalapeno selection, as with many aspects of life, preparation is critical. When you know what you’re looking for in a pepper, you can ensure that only the healthiest and tastiest specimens wind up in your home. Fortunately, it’s easy to select the top peppers and enjoy them for as long as possible if you focus on the skin.
Do peppers go bad? Unfortunately, as will all fruits and vegetables, peppers can spoil. The older the pepper gets, the looser and more wrinkled its outer skin becomes. Fresh, young peppers, full of vitamin C and newly off the pepper plants, are crisp and should snap when you bend them.
If the whole jalapeno stays intact when you fold it, you’ve got an old pepper that you should use in a hurry if you want it to remain tasty. Avoid peppers with brown spots or dark areas. Fresh peppers also have a more vibrant color than their older companions, so keep an eye out for bright greens and reds.
Storing Jalapenos in the Refrigerator
If you’ve got your peppers earmarked for a meal you plan to make in a day or so, leave them on the countertop at room temperature. Doing so helps you to get the absolute most flavor and heat from them.
Taking a few steps at this point before placing your favorite veggies in the fridge helps them stay fresh and tasty in the crisper drawer.
Never wash whole peppers until you intend to use them to help them remain healthy longer. Always store fresh sliced jalapenos in the fridge, so they stay viable.
A dry jalapeno lasts longer than a wet one, so make sure to wrap your peppers in paper towels. Place the peppers in airtight containers in the crisper.
Long-Term Storage
You don’t have to keep fresh jalapenos available to enjoy their bite and zip throughout the year. Jalapenos are perfect candidates for long-term storage and do very well after being pickled or frozen. When you have lots of peppers and no idea of what to do with them, consider sending them to the freezer or water-bath canner.
This section is about preparing and storing jalapenos for the long haul. You’ll find instructions for how to prep and freeze them along with our favorite recipe for canning jalapenos. Both storage options are excellent ways to keep your peppers tasting great all year.
Freeze the Peppers
Some veggies don’t enjoy cold temperatures and will come out the other side looking and tasting completely different from how they went in. Jalapenos, however, hold up very well in the freezer.
The next time you find yourself with too many peppers, consider sending some of them into hibernation. They’ll thaw quickly and are perfect for Mexican dishes such as tacos.
Rinse your hot peppers in cold water, and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Place the peppers in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and put the pan in the freezer. When the peppers freeze completely, place them in freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, and label the containers with the date.
Store in the freezer. When you’re ready to use a container, remove it from the freezer one day before you plan on using it and move it to the refrigerator. The peppers will thaw slowly and won’t change consistency or become rubbery.
If you’ve made your famous jalapeno poppers, you might wonder, “Can you freeze jalapeno poppers?” If you, by chance, do have some leftover, yes, you can freeze them as long as they have been wrapped properly for freezer storage.
There are many different types of produce that also do quite well in the freezer. How long does ginger root last when freezing? What about mashed potatoes? Most veggies last up to several months in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator.
Pickle the Peppers
You don’t have to be Peter Piper to enjoy the flavor and snap of pickled peppers. A well-preserved pepper is a delight and provides a depth of flavor and texture to any dish.
Best of all, jalapenos take well to pickling and will have a shelf life of years in the right circumstances. Put a jar or two of peppers aside every season, and your family will enjoy the fantastic taste of jalapenos whenever they want.
Don the gloves. Place empty Mason jars in the canner, fill the canner with water, and heat to simmering. Give the lids and rings a wash in soapy water to get them clean. Add the jalapeno slices to a bowl, and then add the onion and carrot. Toss the mixture.
Add the vinegar, 2 ½ cups water, pickling salt, and sugar to a saucepan and heat to a boil. Use the jar lifter to remove the pint jars from the water bath canner. Place the jars on a towel on the countertop.
Add the vegetable mixture and one clove to each jar, and add enough brine to fill the jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Use a stirrer to press the veggies and remove all air bubbles.
Wipe the rims, and place and tighten the jar lids. The jars need at least ten minutes in the boiling water canner and require more processing time if you live at a high altitude.
After the jars process, remove them and place them on the counter to cool. In about a day, check the lids to make sure they don’t flex when pressed. Store in a cool, dark spot in the cupboard.
Of course, there are other pickling recipes for jalapenos, too. You might enjoy sweet pickled jalapenos instead of tangy ones. Try different recipes to see which ones are your favorites.
We hope you had a fantastic time checking out our pepper preservation tips. Jalapeno peppers are wonderfully spicy and hot, and they add massive flavor to all sorts of meals.
Improper storage can lead to premature spoilage, however. Our guide helps you find the proper preparation and storage technique for your needs so that your peppers remain delicious and healthy all year.
Thank you for exploring our jalapeno storage guide. Facebook and Pinterest are excellent places to learn the answer to the question, “How long do jalapenos last?” as you might wish to help others learn about storing jalapenos as you did.