So I had harvested a couple of types. I planted a yellow and green long capsicum in late November last year, and harvested these last Sunday. The red and orange ones are fiery hot, but the green and yellow are a lot milder and right for pickling.
I just slice them cross ways, seeds and all.
Cook up a litre of pickling vinegar which contains half a cup of sugar, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of pickling spice and simmer for 15 minutes. I let the pickling vinegar completely cool before adding them to the jars.
Then I pack the sliced capsicum into sterilised jars. These jars (below) used to have anchovies in them, and they were reusable, we kept them for preserving.
Don’t they look nice? In three weeks time they will be ready to eat. We will use them on pizza, in soups and casseroles or in salads through the winter.
They should last for a year (if we don’t eat them first). I find this method so simple, and full of flavour. Does anyone else use this kind of method to preserve types of vegetables?
I do my Jalapenos like that, I love to slather them on my pizzas. Unfortunately we haven’t had a glut this year though with all that dreadful rain we’ve endured.
With the red chillis like cayenne I just dry them, grind them in the mortar and pestle and sprinkle them into things. I get a real sense of satisfaction from using my own chillis months after they’ve been picked 🙂
It’s almost identical to my method – Piceled Chilis. Besides pizzas, soups, casseroles etc, they’re wonderful on a platter with apple slices and some of those cheeses you make – I reckon a nice sharp cheddar. And cold beer.
Wish we could have some of your dreadful rain Gavin, unfortunately we are in the grip of drought, Again! With my chillies I just get a needle and thread my chillies and hang them around the house to dry, it even looks good!!
Gavin – why don’t the pickled peppers go bad/ferment? I thought you had to pour the boiling vinegar mix over the peppers, then cook them in a canner for a time before finally tightening down the top. They certainly look very nice. I did a few jars of carrots last year by pouring the boiling vinegar over them and then giving a couple of minutes in the microwave before screwing the lids down but even then a couple of jars went ‘off’. The survivors are very crunchy nevertheless.
Isn’t there a tongue-twister about pickled peppers? I can’t remember it.
Hi Anon. They don’t ferment because by boiling the spiced vinegar it stops the fermentation process. You have to boil it for at least 15 minutes. Also, the jars are sterilized and sealed.
Gav
And the high acidity from the vinegar prevents the food from spoiling.
So…How many pecks of pickled peppers would that be Peter. oh, sorry…Gavin?
I was wondering what to do with some of ours, that looks like it might work so will try something similar. I don’t have some of those ingredients but have other stuff so will see how I go.
Barb.
Hmm. I have loads of these too and I don’t much like them. I planted them by accident thinking I was getting the ordinary capsicums. Maybe I’ll give this a go.
I dehydrate all mine, some end up rehydrating in soups, casseroles etc, the others I grind up and use to sprinkle over grilled or oven foods etc
I also barter with the next door neighbours, he takes as many as he wants and returns chilli oil for me:)
I have this jumbo jar of pickled peppers, very spicy and, old. Ten years old to be exact. They look great and I am craving peppers… Can they go bad?
Hi Anon, we are still eating some that are 4 years old, with no ill effects. The high acid keeps away the vast majority of the bad bacteria.
Gav