Sweet peppers and hot peppers (chillies) can be preserved with different techniques. If you plan to incorporate them into some preparation, it is best to freeze or dry them. If, on the other hand, you want to keep their crunchiness intact, you should seal them in jars and jars. Unless you have an adjustable pressure canner or one with a pressure gauge, follow the instructions below to prepare pickled peppers while avoiding the formation of dangerous toxins.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Freeze the Peppers
Step 1. The freezing process retains the flavor of the peppers but not their texture
You can practically freeze any variety of peppers, both roasted and raw. Usually, the taste remains unchanged for about 8-9 months, but the vegetable will be rather mushy once defrosted. This method is best suited for diced peppers that you plan to incorporate into other recipes.
Unlike other vegetables, there is no need to blanch the peppers to preserve their qualities during freezing. This makes the process much quicker and easier than for other vegetables
Step 2. Wear rubber gloves if you're using hot peppers
Very strong ones can even cause painful rashes. Remember to always wear gloves when handling these vegetables and avoid touching sensitive areas of your body such as your face. Before reusing utensils that have come into contact with chillies for other foods, wash them using warm soapy water.
Although further scientific studies are needed, empirical experience shows that latex gloves are unable to avoid "burns" to the skin caused by prolonged contact with chillies
Step 3. Wash and cut the peppers
After cutting them in half, remove the seeds and the white membrane that you find inside. Slice them into strips or into small cubes, according to your personal preferences.
- Red peppers are often roasted before freezing, but this is entirely optional.
- It is not mandatory to cut hot peppers before freezing them.
Step 4. Freeze the vegetables on a baking sheet
Spread the pieces of peppers on a baking sheet, well spaced and so as to form a single layer. Put everything in the freezer until the vegetables are hard, checking after twenty minutes anyway.
- It's best to use a high-sided baking sheet for this so the peppers can't fall out, but you can also use a flat tray.
- Alternatively, wrap each pepper in wax paper or some other material suitable for freezing to keep them separate from each other. Eventually move on to the next stage.
Step 5. Transfer the peppers to an airtight container
When the vegetables have undergone a first freezing and have become hard, there is less chance of them sticking together and creating large lumps. Now it is possible to gather the various pieces or strips and store everything in an airtight and waterproof container such as sealable bags or tupperware. Try to get as much air out of the bags as possible before closing them.
- Set the freezer to a temperature of -18 ° C or lower to ensure long and safe storage.
- Label the containers indicating the variety of pepper or at least saying "spicy" or "sweet".
Method 2 of 3: Dry the Peppers
Step 1. Drying peppers allows you to turn them into a powdered spice or store them to add to various recipes
You don't need a specific tool, but a dryer or oven can speed up the process. Dried peppers keep for many months if they are stored in the right way. You can break them up with a blender to turn them into a spice to add to dishes or soak them to revive them and make them appetizing before incorporating them into a dish.
Step 2. Dry these vegetables in the oven or dryer
These methods can be used for any variety of peppers, although the green and sweet ones take longer than the peppers. Remove the seeds and the inner membrane and cut them into strips or cubes to speed up the process. Set the oven to the lowest possible temperature to avoid burning the vegetables. If you use the dryer, choose a temperature of 60 ° C or lower. Depending on the type of pepper, strips or cubes can take 4 to 10 hours to dry completely. However, check every two hours or every hour if you use the oven, as the temperature is hardly constant.
Roasted peppers are also suitable for this type of processing. Cook them until the outer skin forms bubbles, then cut them into small pieces and arrange them on the shelf of the dryer with the non-roasted side down
Step 3. Try drying the spicy ones in full sun
If the daytime temperatures are above 30 ° C and there is the sun, then you can dry the hot peppers in the open air. First, remove the seeds and the inner membrane then cut them into strips or cubes. Arrange them on a mesh frame or cookie rack and expose them to the sun for several days, until they become crumbly. Bring them indoors at night if temperatures drop enough to form dew.
Sweet peppers have excessive water content and too thick skin to be dried effectively in the sun. For these, the dryer or oven is more suitable
Step 4. Alternatively, hang the peppers and let them air dry for several weeks
Making a necklace or string of chillies is a way to create a decoration as well, while at the same time drying the vegetables. You don't need anything other than a dry and well-ventilated room. Use a sturdy needle that you have threaded a fishing line or twine into. Pierce the stem of the chili and loop around the top. Repeat the process with all the peppers at your disposal using the same thread or twine. At the end hang them to dry.
- This method is only recommended for red chillies, as their skin has a low water content. Green and sweet peppers run a higher risk of developing mold before the process is complete when treated this way.
- Tie two or three strings of chillies together to create a woven decoration.
Method 3 of 3: Store Pickled Peppers
Step 1. Follow these instructions to store peppers safely for up to two years
Despite popular belief, all types of peppers are considered "low acid" foods and cannot be stored in jars with an aqueous liquid, unless an acidic ingredient such as vinegar is added. Also, pickled preserves have a flavor that most people enjoy. This method also allows you to preserve the natural crunchy texture of the vegetables.
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Note:
as this process is quite complex, read all the instructions before starting. A water canner will definitely help.
- If you have a pressure canner, read the "Tips" section for storing peppers without vinegar.
Step 2. Wash and heat the jars and lids
Take resistant containers without any imperfections (lids included) and put them in the dishwasher by setting a hot wash. Alternatively, place them in a pot of water and simmer (below boiling point) on the stove. In this way you can be sure that the jars are clean and at the same time they will not shatter when you pour the boiling liquid inside.
To remove the jars and lids from hot water you will need to use kitchen tongs
Step 3. Wash and prepare the peppers
The vegetables must be washed, deprived of the stem and seeds and cut according to your tastes and needs.
Step 4. Fill a clean 500ml (or smaller) jar with peppers
Relying on jars that are too large or not specific for preserves could be an unsafe choice. Leave a space of 1.25-2.25 cm at the edge of the jar.
A half-liter jar usually contains 450 g of peppers
Step 5. Choose a strong vinegar
If you use the right type, vinegar is an excellent preservative liquid for peppers. Try to use a high quality product with at least 5% acetic acid. Avoid homemade ones, unless you are sure of the acidity level.
White vinegar also retains the original color of the vegetables, while that of apples or red wine can darken them without affecting their taste or safety
Step 6. Mix the vinegar with the water and other optional ingredients
Nine half-liter jars usually need 2.3 liters of solution. This must be made up of at least 1/3 vinegar to ensure the food safety of the preserve, but the other ingredients are left to your personal taste. Here are two suggestions:
- For sweet peppers, use 700ml of vinegar and 700ml of water plus half a kilo of sugar. Add 20 g of canned salt to enhance the flavor; if you prefer a low-sodium version, avoid this ingredient. If you want, you can also add 9 peeled garlic cloves.
- For hot peppers or a mixture of sweet and hot peppers, prepare a solution consisting of 1, 2 l of vinegar, 240 ml of water, 20 g of sugar. In this way you will get a more sour preserves. If desired, add 20 g of canned salt and 2 cloves of garlic.
Step 7. Bring the solution to a boil
Transfer it to a large pot and heat it over medium-high heat. Wait for it to come to a boil and then immediately remove it from the stove. The boiling phase kills germs and microbes that could otherwise contaminate the peppers.
If, by mistake, you let the solution boil for more than a couple of minutes, you will need to add more vinegar and boil it a second time. Excessive boiling destroys part of the acetic acid which is the main preservative of this preparation
Step 8. Pour the still hot vinegar mixture over the peppers in the jars to submerge them completely
Try to leave a free space at the edge of about 1.25 cm.
Step 9. Clean and seal the jars
Slide the blade of a clean knife around the inner walls of each jar to eliminate air bubbles. With a clean, damp cloth, wipe the inside edge of the containers to remove any residue. Seal the jars according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually by placing the gaskets on and screwing the lids on.
Step 10. Arrange the jars on a rack inside a pot of boiling water
Take a large pot or canner that has a grid inside it and fill it to about half its capacity with water. Heat the water until it almost boils and then insert the jars by placing them on the grill. Arrange the containers so that they do not come into contact with each other or with the sides of the pot. The water must be deep enough to cover the lids of the jars for at least 2.5-5 cm.
Step 11. Know how long you need to boil the jars
Time is important to create a safe environment inside the jar. Set the timer as soon as the water starts to boil and not when you put the jars in the canner. If the boil is stopped, you have to start counting again from the beginning.
- If you do not live at sea level, consider the times indicated here as a starting point and add two minutes of boiling every 300m of altitude.
- Boil the hot pepper preserves for 15 minutes, if the jars are 500ml or less.
- Boil the sweet pepper preserves for at least 10 minutes, if the jars are 500 ml or less.
- For this preparation, no safe boiling times have yet been established for jars larger than 500ml. You can find another type of recipe for pickles where the times required for the one-liter jars are specified.
Step 12. Let the preserve cool
Store the jars in a cool, dark place where the temperature does not exceed 24 ° C. Under these conditions, pickled peppers can last up to one to two years. Once you open a jar, you need to keep it in the refrigerator.
