Pickles

[Zana]

I'm not sure what Remy will say, and obviously your BIL has a preference, but you might try some with the white vinegar and some with the apple cider vinegar. Personally, with all the different batches I've done and 1000's of jars, I'd have to say that I prefer the apple cider for more robust flavoured pickles. And I use an organic apple cider vinegar. The apple cider seems to work with the more "savoury" pickles such as the Armenian Style Dill Pickles or the Armenian Tourshi Pickles as well as the sweeter styles like the bread and butter. Just MHO.

This year I'll be making a much smaller batch of the pickles than our usual 150 quarts/litres plus. Unfortunately, the main consumer in the household won't be around to work his way through them. But I'm going to make sure that there's enough for while he still wants or can eat them.

[remy]

Steve,
I'm with Zana. It is your preference between the two. I normally use cider, but this last time I used white because that is what my Gary brought home from the store.


Bluelacedredhead.
I'm glad it made sense.
Remy

[ContainerTed]

You know, I think I've validated my practice of freezing of tomatoes and peppers this past year. Yesterday, I made a batch of Pickled Peppers and it was the second batch this winter. We are also enjoying Salsa, sauces, and frozen diced/sliced/chunked/etc tomatoes and peppers in many of our meals.

So, this year I didn't grow that many peppers with any heat, and they are all gone. But Walmart had jalapenos for only $1.24 a pound and I got some just as the guys brought them out to the veggie department. I added a few cloves of garlic, some chunks of Red and white onion, and some other peppers (Red Sweet Cherry, Corona Bell, Apelsin, and Red Bell) to the mix for eye appeal and .... and ..... hmmmmm .... oh wow .... Yummmmmm ....... Ain't they pretty?

First picture is the last jar from the first batch. Pix #2 is the new batch.

Ted

[yotetrapper]

They're very pretty, but.....what do you do with them?

[Zana]

Looking mighty tasty there, Ted.

Zana

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by yotetrapper

They're very pretty, but.....what do you do with them?

Well, let's see. I put some pieces on many types of sandwiches - hoagies, even a ham and cheese. They can be sautee'd and added to many main dishes. Bill, one of the maintenance guys will sit in his truck and simply pick out pieces and eat them like candy. Just tonight, we had some tamales with spanish rice, refried beans, and green chile enchilada sauce with some pickled peppers sprinkled in.

AND (this is weird), I found out today at noon that they go well with zacuska and cream cheese on sweet bread.

It's kinda up to your imagination. I don't make them as hot as most folks do. I like the flavor, but not so much of the heat.

Ted

[shelleybean]

I like pickled peppers on any kind of sandwich, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and in salads and in egg dishes. I have about two pints left from this past summer and looking forward to a lot more this year. Yum!

[darwinslair]

I was thinking of growing Beaver Dams this year and trying pickling them. Anyone here ever grown and tried that with that variety?

Tom

[yotetrapper]

No...I will not start a pepper addiction. I will NOT. lol.

[ContainerTed]

For the neophytes (like me), I think the key is to use peppers with a good thick wall. Canning (or any kind of heat that cooks) will soften the meat of the pepper and it can get "MOOSHY". Thicker walled peppers will hold their shape and eye appeal better.

As I said above, I don't like a lot of spice heat, so I mix some jalapenos (well cleaned of seeds) with other thick-walled peppers. After a couple of weeks in the jars, the taste (and the heat) is pretty uniform thru-out the jar. I also have adjusted the amount of sugar to my own tastes. And, for $1.24/lb (more than a dozen larger ones), fresh jalapenos in the middle of the winter is always welcome.

Ted

[brokenbar]

I have extra refrigerators so I don't heat can mine. I do pepperoncini, pickled sweet and pickled hot. They are crisp as can be this way. I also use a pickling mix that has no water...just salt, vinegar, sugar and spices. I vacuum seal the lids on and also store them in my root cellar which maintains a constant 38 degrees year round. I was told by someone that a " no water" brine it is a much safer with less risk of bacterium. So far, no one at my house has died...( )

[Worth1]

Ted,
They look nice, how long did you have them in the water bath?
How much vinegar did you use and how much salt?

Just curious as to how other people do it.

Worth

[ContainerTed]

I had them in the "BOILING" bath for at least 12 minutes. I brought the jars out of the boiling water one at a time and filled them and then returned them to the water one at a time as each was filled. Then the heat activated and when the boiling began again, the clock started. This meant that the individual jars were in 200+ degree water for all that time - Maybe 15 minutes or so.

I always have some of the "brine" left to waste, and I use a bit of extra canning salt (re...the recipe below). I also use a bit of extra sugar, because of personal taste preferences.

Here's the simple recipe I use as a base to start with.

================================================== ======

This is to make 4 pints, you can of course make large batches depending on how many peppers you have.
3 lbs. peppers - washed and cut into rings
2 cups vinegar
1 cup water(distilled is best)
2 tablespoons of sugar(you can go less if you like)
1 tablespoon canning salt(must use canning)
Cloves of garlic
Onion thinly sliced
In a 6-8 quart pot add the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to boil. Add peppers. bring back to boil. Remove from heat.
Into washed and warm jars add a slice of onion and at least a clove of garlic, if small you can add a few. Then fill with pepper rings and liquid. Leave 1/2 inch head space. Run a plastic or wooden(no metal!) utensil around the inside of the jars to get out air bubbles. Screw caps on firmly. Process in water canner for 10 minutes.

================================================== ======

And like I said, folks are beating on the door asking if I have some more.

Ted

[Worth1]

Thanks,
No worries I am always curious as to how folks pickel peppers and such.
There are so many different ways that are fine by me.

For hot peppers or okra I just put my jars in bleach water rinse and pack the jars with what ever and fill with 50 grain white vinegar and canning salt.

Put in hot water bath for about 10-15 minutes and pull out.

I don't want to COOK the pickles/peppers.
I cant wait to put up some HOT Okra this year.

Worth

[coronabarb]

I grew Beaver Dam peppers a few years ago...got the seeds from SSE and was able to offer them too. They are very tasty 'frying' type peppers...which is what I did with them...used them in stir fry recipes. I've been a caregiver 24/7 for 3 yrs now so I don't even know what is in my seed box anymore. If I have any seed left, I'll let you know.