How to store hot peppers
Best place: the fridge. USDA gives hot peppers a fridge time (1 week, from the package date) and no pantry time, so they belong in the fridge as soon as you get home. The freezer gives 9 months.
No guideline
1 week
from the package date
Fresh whole peppers will last longer if kept dry.
9 months
best quality within
Peppers lose their crispness when frozen and thawed.
USDA notes for hot peppers
- Fresh whole peppers will last longer if kept dry.
- Peppers lose their crispness when frozen and thawed.
How to tell hot peppers have gone bad
General signs for produce: fresh vegetables, the group USDA lists hot peppers under.
- Slimy, wet leaves on greens that were crisp before
- Soft or mushy spots on vegetables that were firm
- Sprouting or wrinkled skin on potatoes and onions
- Mould, often white or fuzzy, near the stem or cut end
- Sour or off smell replacing a vegetable's usual earthy scent
More on produce: fresh vegetables. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Store leafy greens loosely wrapped in the crisper drawer, ideally with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture. Keep potatoes, onions and garlic in a cool, dark, dry place outside the fridge, and store potatoes away from onions since they spoil each other faster. Trim and wash vegetables just before cooking.
How to store other produce: fresh vegetables
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.