heat Cheat Chilli

[Bonnet]

Hi Again
If i want to preserve some fresh scotch bonnets in jars (Chopped) whats the best way to do it without affecting the flavour too much ,
I always seem to have a glut of them that end up going off
Thanks
Bonnet

 

[fineexampl]

You can pressure cook them in a jar with some vinegar. I think if you're pressure cooking you can also use water, but i'm not sure of the benefits. Pack them in a jar and add some vinegar, pressure cook for 15min and yer good.

 

[POTAWIE]

I know you said jars but you can freeze them too. If you want to jar them, I'd add some lemon or lime(or vinegar) and a bit of salt and process in a water canner or pressure cooker

 

[Bonnet]

You can pressure cook them in a jar with some vinegar. I think if you're pressure cooking you can also use water, but i'm not sure of the benefits. Pack them in a jar and add some vinegar, pressure cook for 15min and yer good.

When you say presure cook is that imersing them in boiling water for 15 mins or so ?

 

[POTAWIE]

No, thats water canning. A pressure cooker is a sealed pot that gets very pressurized

 

[AlabamaJack]

note about pressure cooking for canning peppers...they WILL be very soft and mushy after canning...yup...I know...I have a few jars from last year that are very very mushy...hot water bath canning is a much better way to preserve them...

you need to be aware of what the pH is of the preserved stuff...it needs to be somewhere around 4 for good shelf life..if you are going to eat them right away (within 2 or 3 weeks), you don't have to bother with the pH IMO...just add a little lemon/lime juice and refrigerate...

 

[Bonnet]

note about pressure cooking for canning peppers...they WILL be very soft and mushy after canning...yup...I know...I have a few jars from last year that are very very mushy...hot water bath canning is a much better way to preserve them...

you need to be aware of what the pH is of the preserved stuff...it needs to be somewhere around 4 for good shelf life..if you are going to eat them right away (within 2 or 3 weeks), you don't have to bother with the pH IMO...just add a little lemon/lime juice and refrigerate...

So is this right
1 , chop up the uncooked peppers add vinegar and lemon juice
2, place in jars and seal
3, boil the jars for 15 minutes or so
4, store

to get a ph of 4 do i add vinegar ?

Sorry like i said i,m new to this .....

 

[MrArboc]

I prefer to just freeze the excess chiles I get. My favourite use of chiles is cream based pasta sauces... What happens if you drop something with pH 4 into cream?

And beside - if you freeze you have the whole flavour without winegar and other disgusting things. I believe freezing isn't really that common in the US (based on my experience of LI, NY), but it is very common in Sweden. I have about 60 gallons of freezer space that is included in the rent and about 200 gallons which I pay a few dollars/month for in electricity.

Most of the space is used for moose and reindeer, but some is used for chiles. Chiles without the acids.

 

[Bonnet]

I prefer to just freeze the excess chiles I get. My favourite use of chiles is cream based pasta sauces... What happens if you drop something with pH 4 into cream?

And beside - if you freeze you have the whole flavour without winegar and other disgusting things. I believe freezing isn't really that common in the US (based on my experience of LI, NY), but it is very common in Sweden. I have about 60 gallons of freezer space that is included in the rent and about 200 gallons which I pay a few dollars/month for in electricity.

Most of the space is used for moose and reindeer, but some is used for chiles. Chiles without the acids.

When i,ve frozen boonets i,m not keen on the texture when they are defrosted , they seem soggy , are hard to chop etc

 

[The Hot Pepper]

It depends on what you want them for. If you don't mind them being cut already, freezing is the best way. Cut the peppers in half and gut them. If they are large peppers, cut in half again (quarters). You want them as flat as possible. Now lay in rows and vacuum seal them with a vacuum bag sealer. You will see they shrink up real nice and all air is removed when prepared this way. Now, freeze.

 

[Biscombe]

If you want to make hot sauces, freezing is the way to go, no need to blanche just chuck in in a bag whole. From the freezer pop the pods in a food processor, whizzzzz and commence with sauce making