Canning Hot Peppers

[rivet]

I plan on canning jalapenos, thai dragons and tabasco's this year, but need some help. Are the canning rules for food safety the same as for say green beans, or do you need to use high-acid food rules, like for tomatoes. I'm thinking of making a sort of "jardineria" and adding onion, whole garlic and carrot slices- don't think that would change anything, would it?
Any help or recipes would be appreciated~

 

[fire it up]

Hey Rivet.
Not sure if the canning rules are the same, I figure they may be. When I do my peppers from the garden I don't can with a water bath. I actually put sliced peppers in a warm jar and pour hot brine over them then seal the jars and throw in the fridge. I know this is not the normal way of canning but I hate my veggies out of a jar to be soggy and this way it will keep them crisp and they also keep a seal as long as they are kept cold. I have made giardiniera a few times and my all time favorite one so far is from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hot-Ita...ra/Detail.aspx
Absolutely delicious, crisp and fresh. Not sure if any of this was any kind of help but I hope so.

 

[smoke freak]

When you say canning peppers do you mean Pickeling? If so then the vinegar is your acid that preserves.

If youre not using vinegar then a pressure canner will be needed just as in beans.

 

[rw willy]

I like the sound of this, do you can it and how?

Sorry for high jacking you! Now back to the thread.

I did japs last year in a water bath for 10 min. They had vinegar also. And they are softer then I'd a liked. I also did Hungarian wax's sliced, they were good and crisp. SO, not sure what to do this year. I will wait to hear from others here.
Keep posted if you have luck.

 

[smoke freak]

When I do pickles of any kind I dont waterbath. I just make sure the jars are HOT the produce is FRESH and the vinegar solution is BOILING. It helps retain the crispness and its enough heat to pull a good seal. The vinegar does the rest. Its never failed for me.

 

[fire it up]

RW Willy, I am sure you could put the giardiniera in jars and seal them in a water bath but that would make the mix softer. I have made it several times and it is hardly around long enough to even make it into a jar.
Somewhere I have a very good recipes for bread & butter jalapenos. Now I am not a fan of bread & butter pickles but the heat in the jalapeno and the sweetness of the brine worki so well together. I'll post the recipe when I find it. Also forgot to mention, when I seal the jalapenos and stick them in the fridge I usually let them sit for 2-3 weeks, that way the flavors can all meld and the pickles are given ample time to brine.

 

[rw willy]

Thanks for the soon to show up B&B japs. Will keep an eye out for it. I just don't have enough 'frig room top put up a dozen jars off pickled stuff. I am assuming you cannot let them sit on the shelve in the basement after 2 weeks, correct?

 

[fire it up]

When I do peppers, or any canned stuff for that matter, it never stays out of the fridge. Even though they seal from pouring a hot brine in them you still do not have the security of the kind of seal you get from placing into a water bath. If you had a can or jar that didn't hold a proper seal and let it sit out you run the risk of botulism. Even if you have something that did not produce a tight seal it is still perfectly fine and safe as long as you keep it in the fridge.

 

[smoke freak]

Youre right about a bad seal ruining good food. But if your process is right and sterile then you have nothing to fear.

I would need a comercial sized walk in fridge for all of my salsa,juice,hot sauce,tomatoes,pickles,peppers,etc.... I have to settle for a pantry room in the basement. Most stuff will stay good a couple years.

 

[alx]

I can and waterbath salsa every year.All my recipes have called for vineager for P.H.If you grow new mex style roasters i like to can a green chile and tomato for nachos etc.There is a site for national cannig standards for different foods, but i cant seem to remember the address.

 

[smoke freak]

When I make salsa I leave out the vinegar and add lemon juice. It increases the acidity and adds a freshness to the flavor. Water bath well and store for up to 18 months. After that the flavor is a little off. aoh heck it never lasts that long anyway.

 

[rivet]

Wow, and thanks for all the tips and replies!
I was planning on canning them in a brine of apple cider vinegar and regular vinegar mix. I want to be able to store them in the basement with other vegetables that we can in the pressure cooker, so I'm figuring for food safety I would have to water bath them right?

 

[rw willy]

I hate mushy, but. Lock jaw would put a damper on the Church picnic.
I say water bath and work on a recipe or technique that minimizes mushy.
Good luck

 

[fire it up]

For food safety yes, I would say absolutely yes you should water bath them, especially if keeping in the cellar/basement. I never do because I like to keep them as crisp as possible but I store all my canned peppers in the fridge always. Though with the number I am growing this year I may need to invest in a pressure cooker, or maybe another fridge for condiments and pickled things.

 

[rivet]

Yeah mushy is pretty bad, but my logic path was that they would be used for a stew or chili "base" in the wintertime. (The cold canned and crispy ones that I'd keep in the fridge will be for everyday snacking and sandwich sides. ) Once you put the canned mushy chilis, onion and garlic into the chili they'll pretty much disappear but the flavor will be there.

 

[alx]

Thats what i do with water bathed.Use for nachos,chile etc.I do pour off the vineager but for fresher, i just rehydrate the peppers i have dehydrated.

 

[falmund]

Ive been canning peppers for a couple of years now. I always use a vinegar brine. In the past I have used water bath and they turned out ok, texture wise (read: not toooo soft). I put up a ton of macho nachos last year in a pressure canner and they are pretty mushy. Pretty much only good for sauces. But man are they good.

 

[teacup13]

Vegetables, meat and game, poultry, seafood, soups, stews, tomato-vegetable sauces and tomato-meat sauces are all Low Acid Foods. All Low Acid Foods must be "heat processed" in a pressure canner to eliminate the risk of botulism.

Fruits, fruit juices, jams, jellies and other fruit spreads, pickles, relish, salsa, chutney and tomatoes with added acid are all High Acid Foods. All High Acid Foods must be "heat processed" in a boiling water canner.

also when there is a little bit of oil in a sauce, botchulism likes to breed in that.

just better safe than sorry

http://www.homecanning.com/can/ALStepbyStep.asp?ST=6

 

[bayoubear]

for crisp pickled jalepeno (and other) slices...

i do about half a 5 gallon bucket at a time of fresh slices.

add water over peppers to completely cover.
add 1/4 cup of pickling lime, stir well.

stir thouroughly every five minutes for total of 30 minutes.

drain, add water back to bucket, stir well, drain,
do this no less than 3 times.

helps to have a second 5 gal bucket handy to just pour back and forth.

process as usual


(i use a colander to dip the peppers out of the lime water and put into other bucket, add water, stir well, colander back to first bucket of clean water... not as complicated as it seems)

 

[rivet]

Hey thank you all for the help and tips~ much appreciated! I know now to water bath the basement ones, and fridge the others. I was just worried cause all I have is the kitchen fridge and not a lot of room to keep a summer's worth of stuff.

Man, oh man, am I looking forward to the summertime vegs and peppers!