July 31, 2007 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 2,722
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My Peck of Pickled Peppers
Hi,
During our autumn or what you call fall I picked a pile of peppers, bought jars, washed them and got the stove ready. I boiled a pickling mix I made of apple cider vinegar, sugar, black peppercorns, and I left out the bay leaf on purpose. Then I slit the peppers and packed them into jars, with similar heat ratings . So there are Jalapenos with some NuMex types, some hotties with similar ones, and some jars of mild ones. I boiled the pickling mix and filled the jars. After a week they were just okay, a month not too bad, but now at about four months they are really maturing nicely with the pepper flesh getting nicely marinated. They are like the best peppers you could ever hope to find in a real Mexy restaurant. MMMM. And they look like the bomb in the jars, all packed and red and green and celebratory. Give it a go. Gs |
July 31, 2007 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,521
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Sounds good, Grub. When we do our marathon of pickled cukes, we do mixed pickles as well as jars of just pickled onions, and have pickled left over chunks of peppers. But I don't think I'd thought of doing jars of mixed peppers, like or not like heat. Great idea.
Then again I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me. I grew up visiting relatives in Jamaica and snacking on pickled scotch bonnets, like candy. (I had some texas-style bbq on the weekend, and had to drown it in the guy's "devil sauce" before I felt any kind of kick or bite. LOL...then it was time to search for something creamy to ease the fire! LOL.....but dang it was good. I think I gave the poor guy a heart attack when I poured about 3 ounces on my bbq and finally pronounced it hot enough! BTW, he did say that among the Canucks, it seemed that there were only 2 men willing to even try his "devil sauce" - the majority were women, but the vast majority were wusses....according to him. ) Any chance you can post some pics of the your peck of pickled peppers?? I dare you to try saying that 3 times fast...you'll feel like you've got a pack of joeys loose in your upper paddock! |
July 31, 2007 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Adelaide Hills, Australia
Posts: 349
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Yes, pictures would be great!
I have used a similar combination to pickle my cucumbers and peppers. Throw in some whole garlic - delish! The jars look great. Layers of cucumber slices or gherkins, with all kinds of red, yellow peppers. Whole garlic cloves in little voids ... |
August 1, 2007 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 2,722
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Okay... need a few days as busy time here... then will take pics and make you drool
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August 2, 2007 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SE Minnesota Zone 4.51a
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Grub that sounds like a good time, can't wait to see pics! I started preserving in quantity, I suppose, last year. Couldn't agree more. Some goods went right into fridge and they were just fine. Others went into the pantry and have become the pepper equivalent of fine wine IMO throughout the past year. Made a few vinegars too with more on the way this year. Trying my hand at some hot sauces for the first time this season. Works in progress. First batch, which I made couple nights back was a test project of sorts. Maybe was a little too ambitious. In this first test case less probably equals more. All in all not terrible but gonna try to keep it simple from here on out.
Zana. How are things?? You mentioned an amigo that made something called "Devil Sauce" and you essentially laughed in the face of fire? OK now I'm getting ideas. Got some absolute, sublime beauties ripening as we speak. Holiday gift for Zana, huuuuummmm, what should it be?? You deserve something really beautiful after the nice card you sent me and the family last holiday season!!....... Plenty of gorgeous,supremely hot Devil's Tongue(imagine that...LMAO!!!!) wrinkly, creased yellow incendiary heat devices waiting. Well, heck...gonna toss in a few Fatalii chiles, a close friend and look a like of the Devils Tongue. Maybe a Hinkelhatz(AKA the Amish Chickenheart Pepper, growing both cultivars this year one red and one yellow) or 12, probably yellow ones into the mix. The Aji' Limo' is a later season, very tasty, citrusy heat seeking missle that will find its way into the concoction...might roast those babies!! For good measure probably throw in a Mossman Lemon Yellow beauty or two. Darn it, running out of yellow when ripe cultivars I got here this season. Stop the presses!!! Stop the presses!! Naga Jolokia will add the additional heat although its not red. Don't know what got me going on the yellow theme here. Nonetheless, be aware. Very aware!! |
August 2, 2007 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,521
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Erik,
Got to admit first and foremost the key factor in any sauce is flavour and not just the "heat factor". That being said, I admit a definite fondness for hot sauces. I grew up with my grandparents making "hot sauce" yearly. They'd make 2 batches - one mild and one "hot". Some years the hot was hotter than others, but essentially wasn't all that hot, I realise now in retrospect. My grandmother wasn't a big fan of "heat", although my grandfather definitely loved a seriously "hotted up" curry (guess you could say I get that naturally - but I get it from both sides of the family). I've adapted that family recipe to showcase different hot peppers over the years...still haven't decided on an ultimate combo, but I guess that's part of the fun. Now with different tomatoes to consider I may be tinkering with the recipe for years to come! LOL But if I do come up with something "worthy" of sharing, I'll post it. I've got some of your pepper seeds growing in - what else? - containers. LOL The back patio is looking like a bloody jungle, according to my father. He's not complaining since I added cukes for pickling this year. Hehehehe.... All my stuff is running behind. I noticed the first flowers on some of my tomatoes yesterday (except for the Sweet 100's seedlings I was given by a friend - they already had fruit on them.). Cukes, eggplant and peppers are still at least a few weeks away from setting any fruit. But who knows with this heat, as long as I keep watering, I may just get stuff growing faster. I think I've got about 75 pots/containers going. And I think last I counted that 10 of those were peppers. That number may increase, as I may have to "thin out" some of the plants more. BTW, were you called out in the Emergency Response to the bridge collapse yesterday? Hope you and the family are doing well. And that the little ones are NOT demo-ing your plants. Last edited by Zana; August 2, 2007 at 02:48 PM. |
August 3, 2007 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
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August 3, 2007 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,521
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Looking yummmmmy, Grub!
I use organic apple cider vinegar when pickling too. Stronger than the usual store bought stuff (I get mine directly from the cidery), but gives a distinctive flavour. Yours look great. |
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