Pickling is one of the better ways to handle an especially fruitful pepper plant or an overly-enthusiastic trip to the farmer’s market. And as The Complete Chile Pepper Book by Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland points out, while pickling does require spending some time at the stove, it’s not difficult, and the trade-off of having “almost fresh” chiles at your fingertips year-round makes it all worthwhile.
Here are a few basic rules to follow when pickling:
- Sterilize the jars and lids in a boiling water bath for 10 to 15 minutes. Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot with a folded dish towel in the bottom. Place jars into the water mouth down, along with the lids, which can just be set between the jars. Turn down the heat to keep the pot slowly boiling or simmering.
- Use pickling salt rather than table salt, which contains undesirable (for pickling) additives.
- While cider vinegar is more flavorful, 5 to 6 percent distilled white vinegar should be used to avoid discoloring the chiles.
- Do not boil the vinegar for a long period of time, as that will reduce the acidity.
- Poke or cut a hole in each chile to keep it from floating and also to allow the pickling solution to work into the entire chile.
- After filling each jar, remove any trapped air with a spatula or knife blade inserted between the chiles and the wall of the jar, or by gently tapping the jar.
- After processing in a boiling water bath, remove jars to a draft-free location and allow to cool for 12 hours before handling.
Check back tomorrow for a recipe from The Complete Chile Pepper Book.
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