Got lotsa hot peppers?
Here’s how to pickle, freeze and dry themor make your own hot sauce!
Shown: Varieties of sweet and hot peppers.
Well, I’m here to tell you: this is a good problem to have.
Hot peppers are easy to preserve and enjoy long after the peak growing season is past.
Check out my favorite ways to preserve and enjoy hot peppers below.
Just one word of caution before you begin: We highly recommend wearing gloves when handling hot peppers!
The oils that irritate your skin can be difficult to wash away with just soap and water.
Simmer it all together until the tomatoes are breaking down.
Then pour and press the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve, let cool and voila!
You’ve got hot sauce.
Pickling is a great way to make a bumper crop of hot peppers last.
And, like hot sauce, a jar of pickled peppers makes a great gift.
Any hot pepper will work.
I like pickled jalapenos for their nice even heat.
Feel free to experiment with your own favorites or try a mix.
Just halve or slice your peppers (don’t forget those gloves!)
and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes to soften them up.
From the ice bath, transfer the peppers to a glass jar or other nonreactive container.
Boil water and vinegar (white vinegar or cider vinegar works well) using a one-to-one ratio.
Flavor the brine with sea salt and sugar to balance the flavor; boil for 2 minutes.
Pour over the peppers, cover and keep refrigerated for up to a month.
Cut the peppers uniformly so they dry at the same rate.
you might keep the seeds inside-they add heat!
Depending on how thick your peppers are, this should take you 1 to 3 hours.
Let them cool, then place them in a plastic bag and smash them into flakes.
Red, yellow or orange peppers are good choices here since they hold their color.
Green peppers will dry, but will turn a muddy brown.
Habenero (for those who really like heat!
), Thai chiles or red serrano peppers are all good choices.
Char & Freeze
Yes, you could freeze hot peppers and they retain their heat just fine.
However, instead of just popping them into the freezer as is, try charring them first.
Cook them just until their skins begin to blacken and blister, turning to char all sides.
Let them cool in a bowl covered with a clean kitchen towel.
This will help loosen their skins.
The result is tender, sweet peppers with just a hint of smoke.
