Pickled Peppers

I love pickled peppers. The briny spiciness is a great foil to rich foods like pizza, pasta and nachos, but can also brighten vegetable salads and sandwiches. Our peppers have just started to produce and over the course of the next month we'll can most and freeze a few to toss in with sautes and chili.

Pickled peppers are easy to preserve with a short process time, raw packed and no blanching. Just place peppers in the jar, add brine and process. I chop the peppers and remove the seeds and veins. If you prefer, leave the seeds attached in whole peppers or sliced rings. Leaving the seeds and veins intact will increase the heat.

This recipe can be used with any hot pepper, or with a mix of peppers. I use this recipe to preserve banana and jalapeno peppers.

Wash, chop and remove seeds. Or if you prefer slice into rings or leave whole.
Want lots of heat? Leave the seeds and veins intact.

Place peppers into clean jars. I used gloves. That pepper juice is hot!
Using my bare hands can make contact handling tricky. For days.
The white granules are Ball's Pickle Crisp. I'm trying it for the first time.

Pour brine over peppers leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

Wipe rims, adjust lids and place in a boiling water bath.

After jars cool, remove rings, wipe down and store in a cool dry place.

Pickled Hot Peppers
Adapted from The Ball Blue Book
Click here for step-by-step water bath canning information
Makes about 5 pints

2 3/4 lbs hot peppers
6 cups vinegar
2 cups water
3 cloves garlic, crushed slightly
Ball Pickle Crisp (optional)

Leave peppers whole or cut into 1-inch pieces. If using a variety of peppers, combine peppers. Combine vinegar, water and garlic in a saucepot. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Discard garlic. Pack peppers into jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add Pickle Crisp, if desired. Ladle hot liquid over peppers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece lids. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

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Pickled Beets

Beets are one of my favorite vegetables. There. I said it. Yep, I really like 'em. Seems beets have their share of haters. If you find yourself in the hater category, I say: you just haven't had them prepared correctly.

The humble but versatile beet can be boiled, roasted or pickled, eaten hot or cold, plain, with butter or spiced. And in a root cellar or fridge, beets can last months.

When beets are ready to harvest, we look forward to storing a few, roasting a few and pickling the rest. Pickled beets make a quick side dish and a perfect foil for rich foods (like mac & cheese).

Harvested beets. They don't look edible. Just wait!

Beets get a rinse outside. Looking better!

To preserve: 

Beets get a hot bubble bath, then peeled.

Wash beets, and remove all but one inch of the greens just above the bulb. Place in a pot, cover with water bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 45 minutes. Drain beets, rinse with cool water and when cool enough to handle, remove skins (no knife required!). 

Carefully add the brine, leaving headspace.

Combine brine ingredients.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. In the mean time, slice or cube beets and distribute them between clean, hot jars. Remove spices and pour brine over beets leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust lids and rings and process.  

Remove jars from canner and cool for 12 hours. When cool remove rings, wipe jars and store in a cool, dry place. Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and consumed within a few days. 

Beet Pickles

from The Ball Blue Book
3 quarts beets (abut 24 small)
2 cups sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
1 Tbsp whole allspice
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups vinegar
1 1/2 cups water

Wash & cook beets. Drain, cool slightly and peel. Combine all ingredients except beets in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon and allspice. Pack beets into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot liquid over beets leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two piece caps. Process pints and quarts for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Yield: 6 pints or 3 quarts