Grow Your Own Magazine

smallblueplanet · #1 (**permalink**) 06-02-2008, 12:29 PM

We've made nacho rings for a couple of years, unfortunately last years batch was hampered by the fact we'd had hardly any jalapenos grow!

Here is the picture of the one jar we made

The recipe we used was a combination of a couple of pickled jalapenos recipes. Many of the recipes use oil in them and cook the peppers, we didn't cos it didn't sound as nice.

We made a version of this recipe

Quote:

Pickled Jalapenos

Ingredients and Directions

Fresh chiles (jalapenos or serranos)
Carrots Cauliflower Onions Garlic -- (1/4 head per Jar)
Spices in each jar:
1-2 Whole bay leaf
2 Cloves garlic
2-3 Whole peppercorns
1 Little piece cinnamon
1/4 tsp Mustard seed
Salt
White vinegar (I use 1/2 gallon for eight 1-pint jars)

In response to the question how to preserve Jalapenos (or any other chile). The following is the recipe I obtained originally from my cooking class in high school in Mexico, but I made some modifications because the chiles were allways too cooked.

Please note that I don't give the exact amounts because they would vary depending on what you want to get, but keep in mind that the important thing always would be the spices.

Slice the carrots in rounds. Break the cauliflower in small pieces and cut the onions in chunks. I cut garlics in such a way that the cloves are in halves. I like to use entire chiles but I always punch them with a toothpick, so the flavor comes out. If you want you can slice them in longitudinal cuts, which is the traditional way.

I heat a little bit of oil (like 3 or 4 tablespoons) and place all the vegetables at the same time and mix everything until all the vegetables are covered with a thin layer of oil. Then I fill the jars with the vegetables (the jars by then already have the spices and salt). Apart, I heat the vinegar and when it is boiling I pour it over the vegetables.

I close the jars (following the traditional preserving instructions) and let them boil closed for 15 minutes. I let stand the pickles for at least a week. Before coming to the states I preserved in this way like 5 jars with only fresh "piquin chiles" and I have been using them for the last year, by adding here the vegetables, this works wonderful, because we have had very flavorful picles for long time. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

and this recipe

Quote:

PICKLED JALAPEÑO RINGS

These homemade refrigerator pickles keep in the fridge for months.
Just pack a clean glass jar with thin slices of fresh jalapeño rings, then slip in thin carrot slices and a bay leaf.
Bring 1:1 volumes of water:vinegar to a boil, add half a teaspoon salt per cup of liquid.
Fill the jar, let it cool, add a lid, then refrigerate for a week before serving. Delicious!

PICKLED JALAPEÑO RINGS

Ingredients

Fresh chillis (jalapenos or serranos) sliced into rings
Carrots sliced into rings
Onions sliced or quartered

Spices in each jar:
1 whole bay leaf
3 whole black peppercorns
1 little piece cinnamon
1/4 tsp mustard seed
2 cloves garlic sliced (optional)
Salt (pinch)

White wine vinegar (6%)

Layer the sliced jalapenos, carrots and onions in a sterilized jar.
Bring white wine vinegar with spices and salt added to the boil, let cool slightly.
Pour vinegar into the jar and cover the contents.
Seal with sterilized lid.

The jars were sterilized in the microwave and the lids sterilized by pouring boiling water over them. The vinegar solution used can probably be diluted with water by about a half and will still be acid enough to preserve the pickles (if worried check exact percentage vinegar required to stop bugs forming, as I'm guestimating - all pickles eaten at your own risk!!!

)

I imagine you could make the recipe with just jalapeno rings, but we didn't have anywhere near enough and the carrots and onion are very tasty.

Oh and if the vinegar is too 'sharp' you could always try adding a few tsps of sugar to make 'sweet' pickles?

Snadger · #2 (**permalink**) 15-08-2008, 12:30 AM

Just looking for jalapeno picling recipes on google and was lead back to this thread.

Nice one SBP, think I'll give it a try!

Hans Mum · #3 (**permalink**) 15-08-2008, 12:33 AM

there you go..... no need for google just ask on here

Stacey Steve · #4 (**permalink**) 15-08-2008, 08:22 AM

Thanks SBP jst the sort of recipe we need.

We have one of those "Sizzlers", an electric griddle with a container to hold the wraps. The kids love to use it, always a hit.

We had been buying jars of sliced Jalpenos but htis looks far more interesting and seeing as I've 100+ Jalpenos to deal with soon, looks like the way to go.

Incidentially, how do you know if the Jalpenos are ready to pick. A lot of mine are about 1.5" long, quite firm and if you tap them they have like that hollow thud you get when you this to Capsicum.

Snadger · #5 (**permalink**) 15-08-2008, 10:23 AM

Picked some Jalapeno's yesterday and mentioned to my son I was going to make something with them.
He had a little nibble off the end of one and said " they aren't hot, try it" I looked at his face and decided he wasn't lying so had a nibble myself. Sure enough it wasn't hot. My son says " Gis it here, I'll taste the seeds"

I have never laughed so much in my life,.......................... as my son started running around going "Ah, Ah, Ahhhh", guzzling about four pints of milk to cool his mouth down! He could hardly speak for ten minutes (which was a blessing)

btw, my son is 19 so was well able to take the joke!

Don't try this at home folks!

shedders · #6 (**permalink**) 31-08-2008, 01:40 AM

Hi, just found this thread when trying to find advice on how to pickle chillis in the simplest way possible. It's like everybody out there suggests a different method, usually over-complicated or at least not spelled out for pickling novices like me! I'm looking for the absolute stripped down basics.

Can I ask your advice on the following, before I go wasting a batch and/or poisoning myself:

---------

Stuff to use:
Kilner jars
Sterilizing tablets
Pile of chillis
Couple of jars of Sarsons ready spiced pickling vinegar
Maybe some coarse (if I can find it) sea salt?

---------

1. Not sure if needed but...
Make a big mountain of sea salt on top of the chillis and leave overnight
(is this needed? if yes, should I do any chopping of the chillis before or after?)

2. Sterilize the jars

3. Rinse the sterilizer out of the jars using boiling water

4. Rinse the salt off the chillis using cold water (if the whole salting thing is to take water out, doesn't rinsing 'em in water make that pointless?)

5. Maybe chop the chillis at this point (or prick with a needle to let the vinegar in)?

6. Bung the chillis in the jars

7. Cover with the (cold) pickling vinegar to half an inch from the top

8. Seal and leave for at least a month in a dark cupboard

---------

Will the above work or will I get fermented chillis and catch botulism?

The above is using just vinegar for the solution. Is it necessary to add water to the vinegar or is it just a matter of taste? Does the vinegar have to be warm/boiling?

Do they need storing in the fridge rather than a cupboard?

I know there are other ways of preserving them, but I could eat pickled chillis on cornflakes - absolutely love 'em.

cheers

maximepaul · #7 (**permalink**) 16-09-2008, 12:13 PM

Just found this thread just after ive posted the exact same question!!!!!
ill be interested to see the answer to shedders question as it is exactly the questions i want to know!!! thanks xxxx

smallblueplanet · #8 (**permalink**) 16-09-2008, 11:19 PM

Why not just follow the recipe I posted?

What particular question do you have?

maximepaul · #9 (**permalink**) 17-09-2008, 11:07 AM

I will try your recipe manda will let you know how i get on!!

smallblueplanet · #10 (**permalink**) 17-09-2008, 02:36 PM

No worries maximepaul, I just wondered what you were unsure of?

maximepaul · #11 (**permalink**) 18-09-2008, 10:16 AM

Manda used your recipe last night how long do i keep them before they are pickled??

smallblueplanet · #12 (**permalink**) 18-09-2008, 03:41 PM

Hmmm, you know I'm not sure if there's a definitive answer - we normally leave ours a couple of months or 'til Xmas, but...

Got any piccy's of them? Hope they turn out okay, where your jals hot?

maximepaul · #13 (**permalink**) 18-09-2008, 03:45 PM

had a bite and no they wern't

have stored them in my cupboard in the out house so nice dark and cool so fingers crossed....

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