FAO Chefs

[Zonda_]

What’s the best way to store chillis? I’ve had a few plants growing and they are ready to be picked. Can they be frozen ok?

[Nefarious]

Depends what you want to do with them and how long you want to store them.
Chillis, peppers etc don't freeze very well - they come out soggy and flaccid.
Sandwich bag in the fridge is good for a couple of weeks. You can drag this out a bit longer if you decore and seed them first.
For longer term stuff, drying is your best way forward. Chop (with or without seeds) and place on a baking tray on the very lowest setting your oven will do and let them sit in there for 1-2 hours (depending on how low the oven goes). You can take them about 1/2-2/3 of the way and store them in olive oil (infuses the oil beautifully too).
Pickling or lactofermenting are options too for long storage, but obviously a very different product from fresh chillis.
If you're planning on making chilli sauce, just make it up before storage, and make sure the jar/bottle you're putting it in is properly sterile - it'll last years.

[dinny_g]

Chilli’s are fine to freeze if you’re using them from frozen - chopped up in a chilli or a curry.

I’ve always got a lunch box of Bird Eye and Habanero’s in the freezer.

But you can’t really defrost them as Nef said. Freeze some, dry some, make Chilli oil. If you have loads then do a few things.

[mik]

Deep chillin’ Chillis? Dinny’s chilled.

[Mito Man]

I can tell you that you can’t store them fresh in olive oil - it goes mouldy