Food and Recipes Veggies Peppers Here's How Long Cut Bell Peppers Really Last Not very long, it turns out. By Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani is an Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 3, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article How Long Do Pepper Typically Last? How To Properly Store Cut Bell Peppers Can You Store Cut Peppers at Room Temperature? Can Cut Peppers Be Frozen? How To Tell if Cut Bell Peppers Have Gone Bad Close Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Whether you want to slice peppers for dipping at a party, or want to get a jump on all the knife work for weeknight fajitas, you need to know how far ahead you can do the prep before the sliced peppers go bad. How Long Do Pepper Typically Last? You typically only have a few days before they start to go bad (longer if they're green, we'll explain why below), and that's if they're stored properly. Read on to find out the best way to store cut bell peppers so that you can work ahead (or save leftovers) with no worries. 12 Recipes Where Bell Pepper Is The Star Ingredient How To Properly Store Cut Bell Peppers Before they're sliced, the best way to store bell peppers is in your crisper drawer. Just make sure they’re nice and dry before putting them away as excess moisture can cause mold and slime to develop. You want to try to store them whole, for longevity, if possible. If you do end up with half of a pepper leftover, or want to chop a pepper up ahead of time for meal prep, pop the pieces in an airtight container with a paper towel for absorbing any moisture. But keep in mind that you typically only have two to three days to use the cut peppers before they start to go bad. Go Green Green bell peppers are picked when they're less ripe so they last longer in the fridge (both sliced and unsliced) than their red, yellow, and orange counterparts. Can You Store Cut Peppers at Room Temperature? Whole: When whole, it's fine to leave them on the counter for a few days (although they will last longer in the fridge). Cut: Once cut, you should store the peppers in an airtight container with paper towel (or zip-top plastic bag) in the fridge until ready to consume. Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Andrea Fanning Sweet And Fiery Pepper Bruschetta Can Cut Peppers Be Frozen? Yes! Although after freezing, the texture of bell peppers tend to be softer (lacking that classic snap we love), making them best suited for soups, stews, and other cooked dishes rather than crudités. Can You Freeze Bell Peppers? How To Tell if Cut Bell Peppers Have Gone Bad Although you might think those wrinkly peppers in your fridge are goners, wrinkles alone aren't cause for concern. It's a sign that the peppers are losing moisture, but so long as there is no mold or other signs of spoilage, they are fine to eat. The clock is ticking though. Once wrinkles appear, sliced bell peppers will start to decline in quality quite quickly. If your peppers do contain mold, toss them out. If they are slimy or have an off smell, those are two more hints that it's time for them to go. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit