Volgograd Gardener Shares Soviet-Era Pepper Freezing Secret
To taste summer even in winter, just follow a couple of simple steps
A simple but highly effective secret for preserving bell peppers will be useful to anyone currently busy harvesting their crop. Natalya Ostroukhova, a gardener from Volgograd, explained what to do with bell peppers so they are eaten before winter even arrives.
The second method is suitable only for large peppers
As blogger Natalya Ostroukhova, also known as Dachnitsa na Volge («Gardener on the Volga»), explains, peppers should be sliced and frozen for the winter. The gardener assures that the vegetables do not lose their beneficial properties. There are two methods:
Have you started harvesting at your dacha yet?
«The first option — I cut them into small pieces, the size I will later add to dishes, put them in freezer bags, roll them into a log shape, and then place them in a larger bag,» the gardener suggests. «This method takes up very little space in the freezer. I take out one bag at a time, tap it, and the peppers crumble apart perfectly.»
«The second option — I only freeze thick-walled peppers this way. I cut them into large pieces and put them in the freezer. One large pepper yields 6–8 large pieces. I will roast these peppers in winter with other vegetables (zucchini, cauliflower, etc.) — we like this simple cooking method. In winter, it»s the real taste of summer! I put the vegetables straight into a baking dish while still frozen, add salt, spices, olive oil, mix everything, and put it in the oven until done.«
The gardener also shared her own recipe for stuffed peppers, which can also be frozen. This simple snack only needs a short simmer.
«And I always make stuffed peppers for freezing. I fill a whole drawer in the freezer with peppers. When I need a quick dinner, I just throw a few peppers into a pot, pour over my own tomato paste or tomato juice, and simmer. For the filling, I use only fresh ground meat I prepare myself, add dry rice, which holds its shape and doesn»t fall apart, sautéed onions and carrots, and herbs. I use medium-sized peppers for this, not very sweet ones, the ones with a more neutral taste. You can even use peppers at the technical ripeness stage — the green ones.«
Earlier, Natalya Ostroukhova showed how to properly prune tall tomatoes and which shoots need to be removed «at the root.» She also shared how to fight one of the most indestructible garden pests — the flea beetle — as well as pesky slugs. A «country lad» from the Leninsky District of the Volgograd Region showed how to make simple, effective, and free fertilizers for a magnificent harvest at the dacha.
