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!