Pickeling peppers

[abens1078]

I'm looking for an ingredient list and some instruction for pickeling hot peppers. The taste seems similar to brine used for pickeled eggs. I have never pickeled anything but enjoy the taste sometimes. Do I need a pressure cooker? As you can see I am starting from the ground level. any advice would be appreciated.

[bart simpson]

If you don't get any responses here just do a google search for "pickeled pepper recipes". You'll be swimming in them. I've never made them but love to eat 'em!

Nick

[Ole1855]

Abens1078,

I pickle pepper's the same way I do dill pickle's. The only difference is I cut the stem end of the pepper off so they are easier to compress more into a jar.

I use a standard vinegar/water/pickling salt brine. I boil the brine, pack the jars, put the lids on fairly loosely and put them in a boiling water bath. I think if you ran them in a pressure cooker they'd come out mushy.

I do however put 2/3's mild and 1/3 hot in the same jar, I'm a "Whitebread Norwegian" and can't take things too hot. Mixing the two together gives me a medium hot pepper that I really enjoy.

Sometimes I also run them through a slicer to pack them that way.

Ole

------------------
Olson Insurance Agency
[email protected]
952-224-4774

[This message has been edited by Ole1855 (edited 08-11-2004).]

[abens1078]

Thanks guys.
I have one other question for you though Ole1855. How long should I let them sit after cooking...days, weeks..? I don't want to pop the top to soon.

[doubleUcubed]

Just about every year we do the dill pickles and the "hot" dill pickles with all sorts of peppers. Ole has it right. We usually try to wait a few weeks before we try them but once in a while a jar will break or we don't want to reseal one and have eaten them right away, they usually have some flavor but not as good as if they have sat awhile. My Dad turns the jars on end every few weeks for the first couple of months, he claims it helps to distribute the flavor more? There is nothing better than a jar of "hot" pickles for the football games in the ice fish house!! Try adding others items in with the peppers such as green beans, baby carrots, cauliflower, etc. Good Luck!

[Ole1855]

My rule is 6 weeks, so I try to get all my canning done around Labor Day, that way they're ready to go to the hunting shack from mid-Oct. thru Deer season.

I actually can;

"Ole's Atomic Dill Pickle's", hot carrot's, hot asparagus, garlic dill's, hot mixed vegetable's, pickled beet's, hot/garlic string bean's and if I'm really energetic, I can my own tomato juice.

The tomato juice is fantastic, but it takes way too much time to make. Also, canning tomato's or tomato juice you have to be really carefull, or you can get very sick, or worse.

I don't have a garden, so I either go to the farmer's market or stop by several of the Asian farms down near Hasting's to buy all my stuff. I usually buy small cuke's for pickling, the biggest being around 3". Another thing you may find funny, I wash the cuke's in my washing machine, it saves alot of time and elbow grease.

I'd be happy to help you any way I can, canning is one of my hobbies and I think too many people now a day's find it much easier to just buy it at the store because they either haven't been exposed to canning or don't have the time. I think it's becoming a thing of the past.

Any questions, fire away, but I don't hand out my "Atomic" recipe to just anyone.

Ole

------------------
Olson Insurance Agency
[email protected]
952-224-4774

[This message has been edited by Ole1855 (edited 08-11-2004).]

[abens1078]

Hey Ole1855,
I've been poking around some websites and cookbooks and think I am ready to get started. I hope you will read the following and correct any areas where a possible mistake or problem will arise.
Brine: 4 to 1 vinegar to water with 4 teaspoons of canning salt per each mixture and some cut garlic cloves.
Veggies: Peppers-different degrees of heat, greenbeans and maybe some carrot sticks. I also may add some boiled and peeled eggs to a peppers only batch.
Processes: heat brine mixture to a boil and allow to simmer 10 minute before pooring into packed jars, leaving about 1/2" from the top. Place lids on jars and tighten rings to about 2/3 tight.
Sealing: Place jars in a hot water bath (180F) and then add boiling water until jars are covered by 1" of water. Boil for 15 minutes. Remove jars from boiling water and allow to sit for about six weeks.

Well Ole, do I have a chance at a decent product or will I just make a mess? Thanks for taking the time to go through this for me I certainly appreciate it.

Abens

[Ole1855]

Abens,

I don't have my recipe sheet in front of me right now but I think you may be light on the salt and I fill the jars to within 3/8" of the top. I'll dig it out when I get home tonite, if I remember, and I'll let you know. One thing I do is put the lids in a pot of hot, not boiling, but hot water before I put them on the jars, it makes the rubber seals a little softer and they seem to seal better. When I'm canning I keep one of those big old porcelain canning pots on one of the burners going with boiling water. A very important thing to keep in mind, when you put the lids and rings on, like you said, don't screw them down tight. Stick the jars into the boiling water, you will see bubbles escaping as they get hot, as soon as I don't see any bubbles coming out, usually 6-8 minutes, I take the jars out and place them on the kitchen table. I have a small fan that I blow air across to cool the jars, as they cool you'll hear the "tink" of the lid sealing. DO NOT!! touch the lids as they're cooling, you can mess up the seal. Once they're sealed you can see that the lid is concave, if it's not and the jar is cool, take the lid off and start the process over.

I know this get's a little long winded but once you have it down, it's pretty easy.

And yes you sound like you are on the right track to making some good pickles. I haven't added hardboiled eggs to the jars when I'm canning but after I open a jar and eat a few peppers, I add hardboiled eggs, just leave them in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks and they get nice and firm and they definitely take on the "heat"!!

Ole

[Ole1855]

Abens,

Shoot me an email.

Ole

------------------
Olson Insurance Agency
[email protected]
952-224-4774