Stocking up on the Fall Bounty

In order to save money and time this winter, I am trying to plan ahead and stock my freezer with some of the yummy fruits and veggies that are in season now. I started with bell peppers and onions because they freeze beautifully and will increase in price dramatically during the winter months. Bell peppers and onions do not need to be blanched and can be frozen just as they are, which makes this a perfect project for a beginner.

To save even more money, I bought peppers that were slightly dinged up and had a few bad spots on them.

1. Wash the peppers/onions and dice them as you like, removing any soft spots or damaged areas.
2. Spread them out on a tray and freeze.
3. Once they are completely frozen transfer into a plastic bag and use a straw to suck out as much air as possible. Air is your enemy when freezing. Air causes freezer burn.

I bought the peppers for 1.5 kuai per pound, so all those peppers cost me just 11 kuai. Last Chinese New Year, I paid over 11 kuai a pound for bell peppers! Ouch.

Bell peppers are one of the worst vegetables for pesticides, so be sure to wash them very well. 

A candle may help reduce the irritation to your eyes when dicing 5lbs of onions, but as you can see my eyes were still pretty irritated. 

Find a friend and host a "bell pepper workshop" it took us less than an hour to dice  8lbs of peppers and  5lbs of onions. 

Be sure to spread the peppers out, because if you put them directly in the bag they will  freeze into one solid clump.

I'm planning on throwing these in omelets for quick breakfast or putting them in chili, stews, pasta sauce or on pizza. The possibilities are almost endless, except they won't taste good raw like in a salad.