Sweet, crisp and juicy bell peppers can be prepared in a variety of ways. They can be stuffed, sautéed, baked, pureed, or simply eaten raw. With so many delicious ways to prepare them, it's easy to grab a few too many when you're at the store. To keep all those peppers from shriveling or rotting prematurely, we've outlined our best tips on how to store them.
How Long Do Bell Peppers Last in the Fridge?
The shelf life of your bell peppers will depend on whether they are whole, cut or cooked. The color of your peppers may also determine how long they stay fresh.
When stored properly in the refrigerator, whole bell peppers are best used within five days, according to the USDA, although they may last longer. Usually, green bell peppers (which are picked before they are ripe, hence their green color) will last longer than red, orange, yellow, purple and brown peppers (which are picked after they've become ripe).
Prepped and cut bell peppers do not last as long as ones that have been kept whole. They should keep for about two days in the refrigerator as long as they've been kept in an airtight container with a paper towel. Again, green bell peppers will probably last longer than other colors of peppers.
Leftover cooked bell peppers that are stored in an airtight container will last for about three to four days in the refrigerator, according to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. In this case, the color of the pepper will not change how long it lasts.
Bell peppers can also be frozen and will keep for a year in the freezer.
How to Select the Freshest Bell Peppers
The freshest bell peppers will not only taste the best, but they'll also allow you to store them for longer at home. A fresh bell pepper is firm and feels heavy for its size. It should be smooth and shiny with a rich and vivid color. An old bell pepper will usually have dark spots, holes and/or wrinkled skin. Avoid peppers that exhibit any of those signs.
How to Properly Store Bell Peppers
Bell peppers come off as tough and sturdy, but they can easily shrivel if they're not stored properly. The best way to keep bell peppers fresh is to store them whole, in a plastic bag inside the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. This will help your bell peppers retain their moisture and preserve their flavor and texture.
For cut bell peppers, make sure to place the pieces in an airtight container or zip-top bag with a paper towel. The paper towel will prevent the pieces from drying out.
Cooked bell peppers can be stored in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator as well.
How Long Do Bell Peppers Last When Left Out?
If you're lacking space in the fridge, bell peppers can stay fresh at room temperature for a few days. Make sure to store them in a cool spot away from sunlight. Placing them inside a paper bag will also help keep your bell peppers crisp and firm.
What If My Bell Peppers Are Wrinkled but Not Spoiled?
Wrinkled skin is a sign that your bell peppers have begun to lose their moisture. Unless there's visible mold or an off smell, your peppers should still be perfectly safe to eat. Although they can still be eaten raw, their shriveled appearance may not be aesthetically pleasing. We prefer incorporating these bell peppers into a cooked dish such as a sauté or casserole, or just simply roasting them for a salad.
Bottom Line
If you find that you've come home with a few more bell peppers than needed, don't worry, as they will keep in the refrigerator for at least five days if kept whole. That's enough time to figure out which recipe you want to cook with them. To give you a head start on your search, here's our popular recipe for Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Kale& Rice, or try this super-simple Sheet Pan Ratatouille.
FAQs
Ways to Store Peppers in the Fridge
Do bell peppers go bad in the fridge? ›
If you find that you've come home with a few more bell peppers than needed, don't worry, as they will keep in the refrigerator for at least five days if kept whole. That's enough time to figure out which recipe you want to cook with them.
Are soft bell peppers okay to eat? ›
Even when they become wrinkly or otherwise lose their good posture, drooping somewhat as the weeks go on, they're still perfectly safe to eat until they become slimy, moldy, or develop soft spots. You'll just have to get a bit more creative about how you use them.
How long do jarred bell peppers last in the fridge? ›
Jarred roasted red peppers, once opened, tend to last 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
How long do peppers last in the fridge reddit? ›
After looking it up, it says you shouldn't use cut peppers after like 2-3 days.
How to tell if cut bell peppers are bad? ›
You'll know bell peppers, especially ones that are cut, have gone bad if they feel slimy to the touch or, of course, if mold appears on the skin. In this case, the bell peppers should be discarded right away. Sliced peppers with a wrinkly skin but no mold are fine to consume.
Is it better to store peppers in the fridge or on the counter? ›
To keep your Bell Peppers tasting great longer, store them in your refrigerator crisper drawer. In the fridge, raw Bell Peppers will last between 1 and 2 weeks. Cooked Bell Peppers will typically last 3-5 days.
Does refrigerating peppers make them last longer? ›
Storing In The Fridge
The best place to store whole bell peppers inside your refrigerator is in the crisper drawer. The crisper drawer controls the levels of humidity that items inside are exposed to, thereby extending the life of your produce.
How long do peppers last in the fridge once cut? ›
Sliced, Chopped or Diced Peppers: Place cut, chopped, or sliced peppers in a glass, airtight container. The cut peppers will keep fresh for 2-3 days.
Can eating too many bell peppers be bad? ›
It's OK to eat bell peppers every day, but some people may need to limit their intake to one per day. Consuming too many bell peppers may cause gas and bloating in some, due to their high fiber content. It's also a good idea to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
The fruit of the bell pepper (capsicum annuum) and a member of the nightshade family along with aubergine, tomatoes and potatoes, bell peppers are also referred to as sweet peppers. A non-hot relative to the chilli pepper, bell peppers can be eaten raw or cooked and make a nutritious addition to a meal.
Can you cut off the moldy part of a bell pepper? ›
If mold is found on hard fruit and vegetables like cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, and cabbage then cut off 1-inch around and below the mold spot. Make sure the knife doesn't touch the mold and end up cross-contaminated into other parts of the produce.
How do you store bell peppers for longevity? ›
Experts recommend keeping bell peppers in the refrigerator for the best quality and longevity. “If, for some reason, you can't refrigerate the bell peppers, the best alternative is to store them in a cool dry place like the pantry,” says McLaughlin.
How long do bell peppers last after buying them? ›
According to FoodSafety. gov's FoodKeeper app, developed by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, bell peppers can last in the refrigerator between four and 14 days when refrigerated properly from the date of purchase.
Do peppers go bad if not refrigerated? ›
Red, yellow and green peppers: Unless they've been cut, peppers don't need to be refrigerated and will maintain their crisp outer skin longer outside the fridge. They should, however, be stored in a cool, dry spot — not in the fruit basket in the sunshine on the countertop.
How do you know if bell peppers have gone bad? ›
Wrinkles are the first sign of spoilage, accompanied by softness, then bad spots/holes and mold. Yellow, orange, and red bell peppers tend to spoil faster than green, due to their sweeter and riper nature.
Can I eat week old peppers? ›
Whole bell peppers, when stored properly, will keep for one to two weeks in the refrigerator. Sliced bell peppers will usually keep for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Are bell peppers still good if they are soft? ›
According to Reader's Digest, you can tell that bell peppers have started to pass their prime when they have soft or "wrinkly brown spots." This is an indication that the peppers have lost some of their moisture and consequent crunch but doesn't necessarily mean that they're destined for the trash can.
How do you use bell peppers before they go bad? ›
Cooking vegetables stops the enzymatic reactions and will give you a few more days protection against spoilage. So sautee or steam that green pepper up and put it back in the fridge–just makes sure you use it up soon.
Will bell peppers ripen in the fridge? ›
Peppers are not likely to continue to ripen off the vine, but there are a few things you can do to mimic the process. Leave the bell pepper on the countertop or on a window sill at room temperature to encourage the pepper to continue ripening. Placing a bell pepper in the fridge will stop the ripening process.
Cabbage and Bell Peppers: Keep
If mold is found on hard fruit and vegetables like cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, and cabbage then cut off 1-inch around and below the mold spot. Make sure the knife doesn't touch the mold and end up cross-contaminated into other parts of the produce.
Do hot peppers go bad in the fridge? ›
A jar of jalapeno peppers can last up to 3 months in the refrigerator. After that, the peppers will start to lose their flavor and texture.
