How To Preserve Chili Peppers - Storing Chili Peppers

Chili peppers, like all other fruits and vegetables, are at their very best right after picking. Refrigeration will delay spoilage only for a few days. Preserving through pickling, drying or freezing extends their shelf life so you can enjoy your delicious peppers year round.

Pickling Peppers

Some of the best chili peppers for pickling and making relishes are the jalapeno, Bermuda hot, pepperoncini, sweet banana and cherry peppers. Pickled peppers can be eaten "fresh" from the jar on salads, nachos, burgers and sandwiches or can be used to spice up meatloaf and cornbread.

Pickling destroys molds, yeasts and bacteria that cause peppers to decompose. Using sterilized containers that seal prevents recontamination of the peppers after pickling. Homemade pickled peppers should be stored in the refrigerator.

Pickled Pepper Pointers

• Use only fresh, unblemished peppers.
• Use only unchipped enamel, aluminum, stainless steel or glass pans to heat vinegar — vinegar will react with brass, copper and iron resulting in an off taste to the peppers.
• Sterilize with fresh boiling water glass jars and lids.
• Jelly jars — the type with a rubber gasket — are the best type to use for pickling. If the only containers available have metal lids use squares of wax paper as a barrier between the lid and the vinegar to prevent corrosion.
• Use cooking salt rather than table salt, as table salt, due to its higher iodine content, can cause the peppers to discolor.
• If you choose to add spices, use only whole varieties; powdered forms will cloud the solution. Popular spices include peppercorns, chopped or whole cloves of garlic, rosemary, celery seeds, coriander seeds, and bay leaves.
• Color can be added to an otherwise monotone mixture by adding whole baby carrots.
• Pickled peppers are best when allowed to mature about 2 weeks.

Making Pickled Peppers

Follow this simple recipe to make your own pickled peppers.

• 1 to 1½ lb. fresh chili peppers
• ¼ cup salt
• 1 to 2 heads garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
• 1 lb. baby carrots
• White vinegar

Sterilize pickling jars and set aside. Wash chili peppers and carrots well. Puncture each pepper to prevent collapse. Bring vinegar to a boil and add carrots. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chilies, garlic and salt. Simmer 5 minutes for crisp peppers, 10 minutes for soft peppers. Transfer vegetables to sterilized jars with a sterilized slotted spoon, leaving about ½ inch at the top. Top off with still simmering vinegar mixture. Place lids on the jars, but do not seal. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Tighten lids and refrigerate.

Drying Peppers

Dried peppers are handy for adding spice to sauces, soups, stews and chilis. One of the best things about cooking with dried peppers is that it is easy to control the heat of the dish: when it''s spicy enough simply fish out the pepper!

You can dry your peppers in one of several ways: ristras, rack drying, dehydrator, or oven drying. Always use fresh, firm, unblemished peppers for drying. If air-drying, ensure that the racks or ristras are placed in an area that is dry and has good air circulation.

Ristras are the strands of dried peppers that hang in many southwestern kitchens. They can be made from red, green or yellow chilies or any combination of these. To make a simple ristra use a needle to thread the stem of each chili pepper so that the chilies form a spiral, then hang from the ceiling. Chilies drying in ristras or on racks may take several weeks to dry completely. While using a dehydrator or oven is definitely faster, the chilies don''t retain the bright color seen in chili peppers that are air-dried.

Using Dried Peppers

Dried chili peppers can be dry pan roasted prior to being added to sauces for a nuttier flavor. Dry roasted peppers are especially delicious in enchilada sauce. Peppers can be rehydrated by soaking in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes and used to spice up stews and sauces. Dried peppers can be ground into chili powder using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.

Freezing Peppers

When freezing peppers plan ahead. How do you think you''ll be using them in the future? Will they be used in something "fresh" like in salads, fajitas or tacos? Or will you use them to flavor something cooked, like your favorite chili recipe? Follow these steps to freeze peppers for later use:

• Wash peppers well, selecting only those that are blemish-free and firm.
• Cut out the stems and remove the seeds.
• Blanch them quickly in rapidly boiling water if you plan to use them in cooked foods. [Skip the blanching if you want them fresh.]
• Pat dry with paper towels or other clean absorbent cloth.
• Pack into containers or zipper-seal bags, removing the air before sealing.
• Freeze.

You can even freeze salsa! Just make sure to drain the liquid before you do. Otherwise you''ll end up with a layer of ice on the salsa.