How to choose fresh chili

Choose fresh chili peppers that have vivid, deep colors and glossy, firm and taut skins. Their stems should seem hardy and fresh. With the exception of jalapeños, peppers should not have any cracks near the stem end. Avoid those that are wrinkled or have soft areas or black spots.

When purchasing dried chili peppers look for ones that are still vivid in color. If they've lost their color, they've probably lost their flavor as well. Both fresh and dried chili peppers are available throughout the year in most areas.

How to store your chili in a freezer

For this you will need good quality freezer bags, a small ice chest, dry ice, and a final resting space in your freezer.

You can put as many as you want in them, but keep in mind that you'll probably only want to defrost small portions at a time. To prepare the chilies, puncture the side with a sharp knife. This will assure that there won't be any exploding peppers in the freezing process. Place the desired amount of chilies inside and get out as much air as possible. If you have a countertop vacuum sealer, this would be a perfect use for it.

Chilies have water in their membranes, and as they slowly freeze, it forms jagged ice crystals that pierce and puncture the membrane, so that when you defrost it, you're left with a leaky and "tenderized" result. The solution to this problem is easy … faster freezing. If the water doesn't have time to form jagged ice, you won't have a mushy membrane.

The next step starts with your small ice chest. The ideal size is just big enough for your bags of chilies and your dry ice, and nothing more. If you don't already have a small ice chest, a disposable styrofoam a good alternative. A regular size ice chest is too big, and won't get cold enough to efficiently freeze your chilies.

Place a layer of dry ice at the bottom of your ice chest. Then, put in a layer of your bags of chilies, making sure not to overlap them too much. You want as much contact with the dry ice as possible. Repeat another layer of dry ice followed by another layer of chilies, and continue until you fill up the chest. Make sure you end with a layer of dry ice, and again, ensure proper and even freezing by not overlapping the bags of chilies too much. Place the lid on the ice chest and walk away.

The amount of time it will take to freeze your chilies will vary depending on size, but don't open the lid before thirty minutes have gone by. After thirty minutes, check to see how they're doing. If they're still a little soft, let them go a little longer. If they're hard and have no give when you squeeze them, they're done. Carefully remove the bags and place them in your freezer. You can reuse the dry ice for faster freezing, or you can keep the lid off the ice chest and let it evaporate outside.

The chilies will stay good in your freezer for several months, they can stay tasty for eight to ten months. Simply leave a frozen bag out on your counter to thaw, or defrost them in your microwave for a minute to a minute and a half.

Fresh peppers can also be hung in the sunlight to dry. Once dried, they can be used to make freshly ground chili powder. Dried peppers and chili powders should be kept in a tightly sealed jar, away from sunlight.