Pickling uses salt to preserve peppers and other foods, increasing their shelf life.
Brining or pickling began as a preservation method. Before refrigeration, the shelf life of food was limited, so many people dried or pickled foods to make them last longer. Today you can customize pickled foods to fit your taste, creating sweet, tangy or spicy flavors. The many variety of peppers available offer an alternative to more common condiments. You can buy pickled peppers or can them at home.
Sweet Peppers
The mildest varieties of peppers lack capsaicin, the chemical component that makes many varieties hot. Also known as sweet peppers, they include the common bell pepper, sweet banana peppers, Cubanelle, pimentos and sweet cherry peppers. Cut large varieties like bell peppers into slices before canning. Make slits in smaller peppers if you can them whole to allow the brine to penetrate the peppers' flesh.
Mild Chili Peppers
Mild chili peppers are hotter than sweet peppers but contain only a small amount of capsaicin. Mild varieties that stay firm when pickled include Bermuda hot peppers, Ortega, poblanos and pepperocini. As with all pickling peppers, choose firm, waxy-skinned peppers. Do not use those with defects, as these will affect the finished product.
Medium Chili Peppers
Medium chili more heat than mild varieties and are popular in many cuisines. Pickled jalapenos are most common in the United States, but you can also can Hungarian wax peppers, serranos, Jamaican reds, Anaheim and mirasol peppers.
Hot
The hottest peppers pack together intense spiciness and pungent flavor. Common pickling varieties include habaneros, Tabasco peppers, Thai peppers and Scotch bonnets. Try canning Bulgarian carrot peppers, Caribbean reds or Jamaican hot chocolates for more exotic flavors. Many farmers now produce a number of hybrid peppers. Visit a farmers' market for unfamiliar peppers to add to your pickling repertoire.
Tags: Chili Peppers, peppers pack, , pickled foods, shelf life, sweet peppers