How to Ripen and Preserve This

[frjeff]

I have a prolific yield of this pepper. Thought they were Kung Pau, but not sure. Help?

Frost headed here tonight.

I have pulled and hung one plant (not ripened - green) in my garage. Perhaps it will ripen there - Need tips.

Also, I have already dehydrated a ton of these and ground into chili pepper.

How else can I preserve? Will they freeze?

 

[salsalady]

freezing is great, but the pods will get mushy. That's fine if you plan on using them for cooking, but not so nice if you want to use the pods in a salad or something fresh. Lots of people freeze them. Wash, and stick them in a Ziploc-type freezer bag.

More involved is pickling, canning, saucing, etc.

You can also put the green pods in a paper bag in the house, and they will ripen up in a few days.

SL

 

[patrick]

If it does freeze the outside pods will get soft. Best way to ripen them is put them in a paper bag with a banana or two. Not sure if you can do that with an entire plant though.

As far as ways to keep them they will stay good in the freezer for a while. Depending upon the amount of work you want to do you can pickle them or can them straight up.

Good luck with the temps.

Great minds think alike eh salsalady.

 

[PIC 1]

In most cases the "Kung Pao" style pepper is used in the "green" unripe form primarily cooked within the Asian dishes. The red form of this chili takes on a thinner skin and is generally dried and powdered, although can also be chopped and added as an ingredient if still firm in any dish.
I.d recommend stripping the green ones off the plant and freezing them for future use, they're not the most ideal chili to pickle unless your doing so for hot pickled vinegar. I make a version of the popular "Hawaiian Water" with my Hawaiian chili's, that's another possibility.
As far as any of the red ones, if their soft to the touch I'd sun dry them or dehydrate em, but if their pretty firm I'd also consider freezing them for a future "sauce adventure"......good luck with yours

 

[Justaguy]

I like to throw a hand full or two in the blender with a 1/2 cup lemon juice and some sweet peppers and puree with a little garlic. boil for 20 minutes and in a bottle for the fridge. I just yanked my Indonesian chile plants today and have a bowl full of red ones for this purpose and drying to make some powder for work.