How long does green chili last in the fridge?
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “How long does green chili last in the fridge?”, discuss answers to other related questions like how long can you keep green chilies in the freezer and how to tell if green chilies have gone bad.
How long does green chili last in the fridge?
Green chili can last for up to 2 months in the fridge. However, this time duration depends on how and when you store it. The best way to keep chilies is to store them in an air-tight container. Cooked chili lasts the longest when it is cooled and stored within two hours of cooking.
What is the optimum temperature to keep green chilies?
Green chilies are highly susceptible to water loss, sunscald, and heat damage. Fresh green chilies lose water very quickly after harvest and begin to wrinkle and change color within a few days without refrigerated storage. The most encountered problems for green chilies are strong physiological activities, shriveling, wilting, and fungal diseases.
Cooked green chilies can last only for 2 hours at room temperature. After 2 hours, bacteria and mold will start growing on the dish if left at room temperature. The chances of contamination of cooked chilies are increased if the room temperature is about or more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Therefore, it is recommended to keep green chilies in the fridge if you want to use them after a while or a month.
How long can you keep green chilies in the freezer?
Cooked green chilies can last for up to 6 months at a temperature less than 0-degree Celcius provided the freezer is ON all the time.
For fresh green chilies, there are two ways to store them. It does not matter that what method you follow to freeze them but make sure to de-stem, wash, and dry them off completely. Ideally, there should be no bruised chili that you are going to freeze. Otherwise, it will spoil the other chilies along with it.
Freezing green chilies whole
If you are to use green chilies for tadkas, it is better to store them as a whole in the freezer. To freeze green chilies whole, place the washed and dried whole chilies on a plate. Cover the plate with plastic cling wrap and place it in the freezer. Once the green chilies are frozen solid, transfer them into a freezer-safe airtight bag. Seal the bag and place it in the freezer for storage.
Freezing green chilies paste
If you are to use green chilies for curries, it is better to store them as paste in the freezer. To freeze green chilies paste, Crush the washed and dried green chilies in a mixer till it forms a coarse paste. Then mix in a little salt to help preserve the paste better. Make small portions of the chili paste on a plate (about 1 teaspoon measure). Cover the plate with plastic cling wrap and place it in the freezer. Once the green chili paste chunks are frozen solid, transfer them into a freezer-safe airtight bag. Seal the bag, and place it in the freezer for storage.
How to tell if green chilies have gone bad?
The primary reason why chilies become unsafe for consumption is the growth of microorganisms. Therefore, it is important to know either green chilies are good to be used or not as you can not risk your health by consuming bad chilies. But microorganisms, such as bacteria and mold, are not visible to the naked eye. However, certain telltale signs might help you know if green chilies are good to be used or not:
The conduction of sniff test is the basic thing that you can do to determine if green chilies have gone bad. If you notice any funky or musty smell, toss the chilies to the bin as they are no longer good to be consumed. However, it is essential to know that all spoilt food does not give out a bad smell. If this happens to you, proceed to the next sign.
Checking the consistency and texture of the stew also helps you determine either chili has gone bad or not. For this, take a small portion of the stew before you re-warm it and check its texture. If it feels slimy, it is a sure sign that the stew is unsafe to eat as the chili has spoiled.
The appearance of chilies is also a good way to inspect if the chilies are good to be consumed or not. If chilies are wrinkled, shriveled, or have some molds on their surface, directly discard them to the bin without giving it a second thought.
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question “How long does green chili last in the fridge?”, discussed answers to other related questions like how can you freeze green chilies and how to tell if green chilies have gone bad.
