Whether you enjoy mild sweet peppers or the hotter varieties, they are easy to grow and maintain. There are many pepper ranges that can be consumed fresh, dried, or used in pepper vinegars, salsas, and hot sauces. Some of my favorite ranges consist of:
* Jalapeno peppers
* Sweet bell peppers
* Sweet and hot banana peppers
* Poblano peppers
* Habanero peppers
* Serrano chili peppers
* Cayenne peppers
* Tabasco peppers
* Gypsy hybrid peppers
* Cherry peppers
* Hungarian wax peppers
* Cubanelle peppers
The method you choose for preserving peppers depends mainly on the variety. Generally, I preserve my harvest in among these ways: by freezing, in sauces, in salsas, in vinegars, or by drying.
To freeze peppers, harvest fresh and crisp young peppers and wash them. Peppers will go limp quickly, so select them soon before you plan to freeze them. Cut the peppers in half and get rid of seeds. I dry the seeds, place them in little plastic storage bags, label, and save for next year's planting.
Slice peppers into rings or julienne slices. Boil water and blanch peppers for 2-3 minutes. Cool rapidly in ice water and thoroughly drain. Place in zippered freezer bags and seal. Label beyond bag with an irreversible marker, including the range and the date. Use the frozen peppers in cooked foods such as soups, stews, gumbos, chili, pasta meals, spaghetti sauce, stir fries, and so on
. To make hot pepper vinegar, pack washed hot peppers into a glass container or bottle. I use Tabasco peppers. I often blend green and red peppers together. Make sure it is glass created to endure heat so it will not split from the hot vinegar. I choose to use a get more info bottle designed for pouring or spraying. Add salt if preferred for flavoring. Pour hot vinegar over the peppers, leaving a little head space. Seal firmly and let high for 4-5 weeks. Experiment with different kinds of vinegar such as white, cider, sherry, and other flavored vinegars. Hot pepper vinegar makes a nice gift. Offer it a personal touch by including homespun material and a handmade gift tag.
You can also make your own salsa. There are many dishes for homemade salsa. Your recipe option depends mainly on your taste. The choice of peppers depends upon whether you want mild or hot salsa. When your salsa is made, ladle into Mason canning containers and procedure according to your home canner directions. Be specific that each container "pops" when cooling from the canning procedure. This indicates that the jar has actually correctly sealed. Unsealed canned foods are not safe.
You can dry peppers in an oven, in a food dehydrator, or you can just air dry them. I choose the air drying approach. I take a very strong needle and "sew" them together with extremely strong quilting thread. I leave room between peppers so air can distribute. I suspend them in front of a bright window and allow them to entirely dry, which typically takes a number of weeks. When completely dried, shop in zippered bags or plastic containers. I use these mainly in stir french fries, fried rice, and pasta meals. Dried seeds, such as hot red pepper flakes, are great for seasoning foods like pizza and pasta. You can rehydrate dried peppers prior to use by soaking in water, if desired.
Be careful when dealing with hot peppers. The oils can burn you. I use thin latex gloves when dealing with hot peppers, and I prevent touching my skin, face, lips, and eyes. Be care of other products you manage also throughout this procedure. When my child was young, I remained in the middle of managing hot peppers and she wanted a kiwi. I peeled and sliced the kiwi, and she complained that it was a very spicy kiwi. You can always remove your gloves and clean your hands if required.