It’s starting to really feel like fall here in the hills of Mendocino. Over the course of two weeks, we’ve transitioned from hot, dry, sunny September days to chilly October mornings where the fog hangs thick over the vineyards in the valley.
Even though we’re transitioning into winter, it still feels oddly like spring… after months of staring at dead grass and star thistle, it’s like a breath of fresh air to look at the ground and see actual green stuff coming up:
Around now, I try to be vigilant in keeping all of the vegetables in the garden ultimately picked. It could theoretically frost at any time, and these days the farm is way too big to wait until a frost warning to start picking everything.
Also, if there’s a frost warning, it’s probably chilly as hell and I’d rather pick peppers on a sunny afternoon than in the dark, bundled up in winter clothes with mittens and a headlamp.
I’m yearning for the post-frost relaxation that’s just around the corner. I’m way too busy for really complicated preserving projects, so I had to deal with these peppers in the fastest, most efficient way possible. Here’s everything I’ve learned in my years of preserving about how to get it done.
THE FREEZER IS YOUR FRIEND
Hot peppers freeze really, really well. In general, I try to stick to one method of preservation, meaning that I don’t like canning out of the freezer. In my experience, canned goods taste the best when you get the produce from the field to the jar in as little time as possible.
Hot peppers are my exception, though. The advantage of freezing hot peppers (other than the time) is how much easier they are to work with when they’re frozen.
- To freeze the peppers, either vacuum seals them or put them in thick Ziploc bags designed for the freezer. Label and date and throw ’em in the freezer.
- When you want to use them, don’t thaw them first. They’re much easier to seed and mince while they’re still rock hard, and since they’re so small they often thaw right on the cutting board when you’re working with them. To seed the peppers, cut the stem end off first, then slice the pepper in half lengthwise, and then run a (gloved) finger down each half to brush the seeds out.
- All hot pepper varieties freeze well, whether they’re thick or thin-skinned.
- Note: Frozen peppers will lose a lot of their crunch, so the only project you won’t really be able to do later makes pickled peppers.
RISTRAS
Thin-skinned red chilis dry very well, and look wonderful strung into ristras. I love having all my projects hanging in the kitchen: garlic braids, bouquets of bay laurel and flowering marjoram, a few different varieties of dried pepper ristras, and maybe some edible flowers for tea like pineapple weed or calendula.
If you’re growing your own peppers, the seed catalog often specifies if the varieties are good for drying. If not, look for varieties like cayenne or thai.
Steer clear of jalapenos and other green chilis or any of the mild Italian frying peppers- their flesh is too thick and will mold before it dries. Shopping at a farmers market, keep your eyes peeled for piles of red chilis. This time of the year, you can usually get ridiculous deals for huge amounts of peppers.
For this project, you’ll need a relatively sturdy sewing needle and some fishing line.
Please note: This is not the traditional style of braided ristra from New Mexico, but rather the infinitely simpler and faster Busy Preserver Method.
Thread your needle with the fishing line.
Measure out an arm-length or so of line.
Push the needle through the top of the chili.
Gently move the chili to the other end of the line, leaving a few extra inches.
Tie the fishing line in a loop around the top of the chili so it stays in place. Now just thread the rest of the chilis onto the fishing line until you get a length that you like.
Tie a loop around the top chili to hold it in place. It’s essential to hang the ristras somewhere quite warm and dry at first. If it’s sunny they can even go right out in the full sun.
Once they’re fully dried they should last a year or more. I put the dried peppers in all kinds of soups, stews, salsas, and sauces.
If you want to rehydrate them, place the chilis in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for 20 minutes, and they’ll be soft and ready to cook.
ITALIAN PICKLED PEPPERS RECIPE
Remember the thick-skinned peppers that don’t dry well? And all of those mild Italian frying peppers? This is a super-fast pickle that you can make if you don’t want to freeze them.
This is my dad’s recipe, and it reminds me of sitting at the kitchen table with him while dinner was cooked, drinking red wine, eating cheese and crackers and these pickles.
They look lovely on a big antipasti plate with salami, prosciutto, marinated artichoke hearts, and cheeses.
You’ll need: a few pint jars
Ingredients:
- Any peppers you have that you don’t want to freeze or dry: a combination of colors, shapes, and heat levels is nice for this. (Jimmy Nardello works particularly well in this pickle)
- 2-3 peeled garlic cloves per jar
- 3-4 green olives with pimento per jar (just snag a few from an open jar in the fridge. No crazy stuff like green olives stuffed with blue cheese! Just plain old martini olives)
- whole black peppercorns, 2-3 per jar
- Vinegar to cover all this, either apple cider or white vinegar, or a mixture of the two
Instructions step by step
Bring boiling-water canner to a boil—Wash lids and jars in hot, soapy water.
Put some vinegar in a non-reactive pot and bring it to a boil. (Yes, you have to estimate how much you’ll need to cover the peppers.) Wash your peppers.
Once the jars are sterilized, pack the whole peppers into hot jars with olives, garlic, and peppercorns.
Cover the peppers with boiling vinegar, leaving 1/2″ headspace. Use a chopstick to poke around and remove the air bubbles. Adjust the headspace. Wipe rims clean and put on the lids. Process 10 minutes.
A DIRTY, DIRTY TIME-SAVING SECRET: I make these almost every year and have never – not ever- processed them the way the USDA tells you to to make sure they’re safe.
I sterilized my jars in the oven, put the peppers in the jars, cover the peppers with boiling vinegar, put the lids on, and call it done.
The lids seal if you put them on while the vinegar is still piping hot. Technically this should be a refrigerator pickle and not a shelf-stable canned good, but we’ve been making it for years in my family and never had any problems… Crazy. The USDA would say I’m going to die, but the pickles are crunchy and delicious every year.
P.S. There is a distinct lack of pictures for this recipe! I haven’t made them yet this year but I will update the post with a picture when I do.
LATER… HOT PEPPER JELLY
I use almost all those frozen peppers for hot pepper jelly. If you haven’t had it before, you must. It’s sweet, spicy, tangy, and delicious.
Try it with cream cheese and crackers. I like making breakfast quesadillas with scrambled eggs, hot pepper jelly, cheddar cheese and cilantro.
You can put it in a pot of chili and on warm cornbread with butter.
You can turn it into a dipping sauce by melting it down and adding some chopped fresh herbs.
You can brush it onto steak for fajitas.
You can stir-fry green beans and tofu with it. Pretty much anywhere you’d use hot sauce, you can use hot pepper jelly instead. It’s that amazing.
There’s not really any need for me to write out the recipe, it’s in the pectin box. I’ve tried almost all of them: Ball (high and low sugar), liquid Certo, Pomona’s. They’re all delicious.
If you want a nice low-sugar pepper jelly, I would recommend Pomona’s, natural pectin available at most health-food stores.
The fun part is that you can really play around with the variety of peppers used in the recipe.
All of the pectin boxes call for a certain amount of sweet bell peppers and a certain amount of hot peppers, but I adjust it for how I want the finished product to taste.
The important part is that the recipe in the box will call for a certain amount of prepared peppers (e.g. 4 1/2 c.) and you need to match this amount with whichever types of peppers you decide to use.
Don’t decrease or increase it, keep the ratio of peppers/liquid/sugar the same as what the original recipe calls for.
The possibilities are endless using the different pepper varieties and heat levels available. Make it fresh if you want, but pulling the frozen peppers out in December to make jelly for holiday gifts makes for a really great afternoon project.
Simple ways to preserve Hot Peppers
How To Preserve Hot Peppers the Right Way
Preparing your favorite hot peppers for the winter is an excellent way to make sure you can still enjoy their spicy flavor even when it’s cold outside. Hot peppers are a great addition to any meal, as they have numerous nutrients that are essential for a healthy lifestyle. Red pepper and green pepper both come with benefits. Hot peppers are packed with vitamin C and capsaicin, which has numerous health benefits such as reducing the risk of cancer, lowering blood pressure, and burning fat faster. They also taste amazing in almost any food! In this article, you will learn about the best ways to preserve hot peppers for winter so that you can enjoy their spicy flavor all year long. Starting today, let’s explore more about
Preserving hot peppers with oil
If you like to make hot pepper sauce, you can preserve peppers in oil, which makes a perfect gift for your loved ones! The hot peppers will last longer when preserved in oil, and the sauce will remain flavorful even after several months once you open it.
Hot peppers will taste amazing with oil even after 4 months. The best part is that you can save even more money by making your own pepper sauce. To preserve hot peppers in oil, all you need is a large clean jar. Make sure you choose a jar that is large enough to fit all your peppers with some extra room. Wash the peppers thoroughly and remove the stems.
Next, pour the hot peppers into the jar and pour the oil of your choice over them until the jar is full. Once the jar is full, close the lid tightly and store it in a dark and cool place. Make sure the jar is not placed in direct sunlight or it may get spoiled.
Preserving hot peppers in vinegar
If you love eating peppers as a salad, you can preserve them in vinegar and have them all year long. This method is similar to preserving peppers in oil, except that you need vinegar instead.
Once you’ve preserved your peppers in vinegar, you can use them to create delicious salad dressings, marinades, and even cocktails! You can also use them to make your own hot pepper vinegar, which is great for a variety of different uses.
Start by cleaning and cutting the peppers into smaller pieces, and then add them to a jar or a sealable container. Make sure you choose a container that is large enough to fit all your peppers with some extra room.
Pour the vinegar of your choice over the peppers, and seal the container tightly. Next, store the container in a dark and cool place until the peppers are completely submerged in vinegar. Make sure the container is not placed in direct sunlight or your peppers may get spoiled.
Preserving hot peppers through drying
If you are looking to make hot pepper flakes, you can preserve hot peppers through drying. Dried peppers make a perfect gift for yourself or for your loved ones. Dried peppers will last longer than preserved in oil or vinegar, and you can use them for various dishes such as stews, salads, and meat dishes.
Start by cleaning and cutting the peppers into smaller pieces, and then put them in a food dehydrator. Make sure they are in a single layer, and that there is plenty of room between each pepper piece.
Leave the peppers in the dehydrator until they are completely dried and brittle. Once the peppers are dried, store them in an airtight container. Make sure the container is dark and not exposed to direct sunlight.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to preserve hot peppers, let’s explore more about the process. First, you need to decide how you want to preserve your peppers. Once you’ve decided between oil, vinegar, or drying, you need to clean and cut the peppers.
Next, you need to pour the preservation medium over the peppers and store them in a dark and cool place. You will be able to enjoy the spicy flavor of hot peppers throughout the winter if you follow these simple steps!
Happy preserving!
