Pickled Peppers

Pickling has become the only way I manage my weekly CSA packages. Even after splitting it with a friend and eating everything I can with Grant, there still is only so much you can do with 5 pounds of peppers, and okra, and eggplant.

After my foray into cucumber pickling, I thought I would try to pickle a ton of extra peppers I had one week. This led to the realization that finding canning materials is harder than I thought. My local Ace was closed, ChefsMart didn’t have any and I didn’t want to drive 30 minutes out to the mall in all that heat, just to battle Target moms on my way to Bed, Bath & Beyond. So I made due with my two largest stock pots and you know what? It was fine. Maybe not good for large batches, but this was a baby step.

I even used the “sanitize” button on my dishwasher – felt so official! Just like I remember my mom doing when I was little and it was canning season.

If you are a novice like me and interested in canning, I recommend the Ball guide to home preserving, which @wordyjules said would become my canning bible. It has.

Pickled Peppers (makes 4 cans)

Ingredients:

• 3 c. sliced peppers – use whatever you have on hand (I used banana peppers, jalapenos and red bonnets)
• 3 c. white vinegar
• 1 c. water
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

Sanitize jars and lids (place in clean dishwasher and hit “sanitize” button. Once clean, remove without toughing insides to cool on a clean towel).

In large stainless steel bowl, combine peppers. Set aside.

Set two large stainless steel (or non-aluminum) pots on the stove, one filled with enough water to submerge jars. Heat water-filled pot. In second pot, combine vinegar, water and garlic. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil for 5 min. Discard garlic.

Pack peppers into sanitized jars and ladle hot pickling liquid in, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Tap to remove air bubbles, wipe rim. Center lid on jar and tighten.

Place jars in canning pot of water, bring to a boil, cover and process 10 min. Remove lid, wait 5 min. then remove jars and cool. Once cooled, you will feel that the seal has snapped shut. Store, or open and eat!

The red peppers in this made even the mild peppers HOT. Whew! I’m going to let mine sit a few weeks in the hopes that they mellow out a bit. My goal is to have these for appetizers and for adding to things like salads and tacos.

Enjoy, friends! xoxo