Mild Peppers
Mild peppers are just that: mild. They are neither sweet nor hot. Pepper “hotness” is measured by Scoville Units. To be classified as mild they range from 1000 to 3000 SU and are perfect for people who are new to the cooking/eating of spicier food. Now to go over a few of the most common mild peppers
Paprika Peppers
The most familiar form of paprika is the dried powder that u can find in any supermarket. It’s a spice that has been used in pretty much every Hungarian dish, and even used as a garnish in many authentic European recipes. There are varying flavours of paprika, they can range from mild to hot and most supermarkets will carry quite a few different choices. What some people don’t know is that it does have a shelflife, and shouldn’t be stored for over 6months. Also make sure to keep in a dark, cool, and dry place
Poblano Peppers
These are one of the most popular chili peppers in Mexican cooking, especially in stuffed pepper recipes, and of course a large variety of sauces. Poblanos have a subtle smokey flavour, and this enchances when dried These peppers are called “poblano” when fresh and “ancho” when dried. Their 3-foot tall, bushy, ever-bearing plant produces fruits that dangle like pendants from their stems. The dark green chilies turn red when mature at 90-110 days. Once ripe, the chili reaches 4 to 4 inches long. This is the most popular chile for stuffing . It is generally roasted and peeled before use. This is a mere 1,000 -1,500 Scoville units.
Ortega Chilies
The ortega is a chili pepper that is 6-7 inches long by about 2 inches wide. Ortegas are ready to be green-picked at about 70 days and red ripe at 95 days. Ortegas are good stuffing, grilling, roasting and pickling peppers. These are the mild green chilies you’ll find canned in your grocer’s condiment aisle. These peppers are perfect to put on burgers, sandwiches, and yes, nachos!
So my neighbor’s brother runs a farm in a valley fairly close to our house, this afternoon my neighbour brought over about 20 lbs of hot peppers! He said he knows that I like to cook and that he is sure I’ll find a use for them. I laughed, and of course thanked him, and started thinking, “ What the hell am I going to do with all these peppers”?
And then I thought, why don’t I make a few meals with some of them and can the rest? Perfect, that’s what I’ll do! Now, I have never canned anything before in my life… but how hard could it be? Well time to check the internet for some ideas I guess…
Ok, after doing some research, it looks like 2o lbs yields about 20 to 25 jars. Ha! Think I may have found some Christmas present ideas. Also looks like I’m going to have to do some shopping. Here’s my list of stuff I’m going to need to overtake this canning project.
Peppers
Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)
Jar funnel ($2 at mall kitchen stores and local “big box” stores, but it’s usually cheaper online)
At least 1 large pot
Large spoons and ladles
Ball jars (Publix, Kroger, other grocery stores and some “big box” stores carry them – about $8 per dozen quart jars including the lids and rings)
Salt (optional – I don’t use any)
One 6 – 8 quart pot or saucepan
Now, one more thing it looks that I need for this is a pressure canner, these, from what I’ve read are usually between $75 and $180 dollars. You DO need a pressure canner! If you don’t have one, technically a water bath will work, however every university food science department and the government will tell you that it just is not safe to use the water bath method; it takes the higher temperatures of the pressure canner to kill the botulism bacteria. So use a pressure canner – it’s healthier and it’s easy.
continued….
Well I went to 5 different places looking for a pressure canner with no luck, so it looks like I’m doing this the old fashioned way. I’m going to have to use a water bath, and a vinegar water solution. All in all the whole process should only take me about 30 minutes. I’ve already gotten all the prep work done, so I just need to start the water boiling. I don’t have enough jars to can all the peppers, so I think for my next project I’ll try drying the rest of them. Well, I’m going to see how this goes.
That went way smoother than I thought it would. Instead of the salt that the recipe said I should use, I found that vinegar and salt water seem more popular with the rest of the research I’ve done.
One thing I would have to advise, is use rubber/latex gloves for this. I consider myself to be a “manly” guy when it comes to spicy stuff, but I accidently rubbed my face after slicing all those peppers, and let me assure you, I was feeling it the whole time I was canning these peppers. Anyways, like I said, this was super easy, and I’m going to be trying different ways to flavour the next batches I do. This kind of salt/vinegar bath is perfect for working with new ideas (maybe adding some rosemary to the next batch?).
This is very easy to do, check out this video. Have Fun!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlRG2Yp-op8
So maybe drying peppers is not ‘purely’ a spice; but they do add flavor and taste to your cooking.
The main reason to learn how to dry hot peppers is to enable you to keep them for a long time.
Peppers can last for several days to a few weeks at room temperature or in the refrigerator before they start to rot. Freezing peppers, if done right, can make them last several months, but the thawing process can be a tricky one where often you’re left with overly soft and mushy chiles. Dried chiles can last from several months to a few years if stored properly.
Removing moisture from peppers magnifies and intensifies the heat, flavor, and natural sugars the peppers contain. Dehydrated chiles pack more fiery punch and ferocity in both solid food and hot sauce recipes than fresh peppers. Plus, if you grind or crush dried peppers, you can use them as an all-purpose flavoring and seasoning for any occasion.
Last month, I got 20 lbs of organically grown jalapeno peppers from a neighbor. I canned some of them and dried some (and ate some fresh)! I’m ready for some spicy cooking!
Tasty, Spicy, Dried Peppers
Before you start drying peppers you need to check over a few things,
If you’re drying peppers indoors, keep the area well-ventilated. Warmed peppers will give off pungent fumes that are irritating to the eyes. If you have a ceiling fan, use it; or better yet, open your windows and bring in a portable fan or two to keep the air circulating and minimize the watery eyes and burned nasal passages.
Take extra precaution around young children, pets, or anyone who is sensitive to spicy foods.
If possible, always wear gloves when handling hot peppers. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after touching hot peppers. Do not scratch your eyes, nose, face, or any other sensitive area of your body after handling.
Check over each pepper before starting the drying process. Discard peppers if they have:
Wash the peppers with warm water and dry thoroughly with a cloth towel. Next step is to dry the peppers …
Dried chili peppers can be soaked to bring them back to their original form. Dried chili peppers that have been properly prepared, stored, and refreshed are just as tasty as the day they were freshly picked. To bring the dried chili peppers back to life, soak one cup of chili peppers in approximately two cups of cold water for about one hour or until they become tender and appear as they did before drying.
If your dried chili peppers are too hot and spicy for you, boil them on the stove to remove some of the fire. The longer they are boiled the less spicy they will be. Rinse the peppers, change the water, and boil them again if necessary. The peppers will retain most of their flavor, but they will be more tolerable for those who prefer a milder pepper.
Now, when you are cooking with dried peppers keep in mind that dried peppers aren’t as sizable as fresh peppers. One half cup of dried chili peppers equals approximately one cup of fresh ones. Reconstitute the peppers and grind them when necessary. When using them in hot dishes containing a lot of liquid such as soups and stews, it isn’t necessary to reconstitute them first. Just drop them in when the liquid begins to boil, and turn the temperature down so they can simmer until the food is fully cooked and the peppers are tender and hydrated.
