While in the Smokies this past weekend, the Super Parents were true to form and sent us home with 5 grocery sacks full of peppers picked from their garden. Bell, serrano, habanero, jalapeno, and garden salsa. What a score!!! So today, I set out to preserve them in a few different ways.
The bell peppers were sliced into rings and frozen in a single layer on a cookie sheet. They were then sealed into freezer bags and I can use them whenever I need. I got 2 gallon freezer bags, plus what I used to make venison chili for dinner, and 2 entire peppers that the Te-Man devoured - ate them like they were apples!
The Serrano peppers are currently nestled into my dehydrator and will be used to spice up everything from pizza to general Tso's chicken. The habaneros will be finding their way into the dehydrator soon.
I see lots of Nachos in my future! I took 7lb of jalapenos, and turned them into 12 (ok...really 11 1/2) pints of pickled jalapeno slices.
Pickled Jalapenos
What's In It:7lb Jalapenos
10 c White Vinegar
10 c Water
10 T Pickling Salt
What To Do With It:
Mix water, vinegar, and salt in a large pot. Boil.
Prepare canning pot, jars, and lids.
De-stem and slice the jalapenos. If you are looking for them to be a little less spicy, remove the seeds.
Pack tightly into prepared canning jars.
Cover with brine mixture.
Wipe rims, place lids, and bands on jars. Process in a boiling water bath for at least 10minutes.
Wait 2 weeks to allow time to cure and the flavors to develop.
YUM!
The garden salsa peppers are when things get tricky. Upon receipt of the bounty of peppers I was excited about the possibility of pickling some of them to eat as snacks or with cheese. I asked Super Dad if any of them were mild enough to just eat on their own. He assured me that the garden salsa peppers fit that bill. Me, being the trusting daughter, didn't think twice and took my father's word. Well then, today I used the left over 6 cups of brine from the jalapenos, added 4 crushed cloves of garlic, and 4 T of sugar. My plan was to make these tasty little peppers quite the sweet and spicy snack. I decided to give them a try as I was prepping them. Just a little taste....HOLY MOLY those bad boys are HOT! I hadn't even closed my mouth and it was on fire. My lips were almost numb. In comes the sour cream - any attempt to pull the capsaicin from my skin. It worked - a little. I definitely made for some giggles. :)
Ha Ha, well, I added another 1/2 c of sugar and hoped it tamed the heat enough to make them edible, and canned them anyway.
I guess we'll know in a few weeks. :)
To cap off the Pepperific Day, we had Venison Chili and Homemade Brownies. I think I earned every bite! :)
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