It's Outta Control!

[Caustic Casey]

I'm trying to keep up....


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m43/cherubini_2006/20080911_0008.jpg



Pickled Pain!
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m43/cherubini_2006/20080911_0009.jpg

[Josh]

I'm trying to keep up....


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m43/cherubini_2006/20080911_0008.jpg



Pickled Pain!
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m43/cherubini_2006/20080911_0009.jpg
Nice! Looks like you got a lot of work ahead of you. But it is all part of the fun.

[JayT]

Nice lot there Casey. That's cheating though. You can barely burn your hands and face and eyes and nose like that. You have to cut them up and then cooks them to get the full effects of the pain! :mouthonfire:

[pepperfever]

Looking good Casey, now you need to dry some( so you can have powder) or chop some up for freezing ( used for cooking anything.) That's a nice crop you have there and the work is so worth it.

[skealo]

Nice work. What recipe are you using for pickled peppers?

[chilehunter]

ditto, it looks good.

[QuadShotz]

Beauty!

I gotta pick up a pressure cooker and stuff soon too. I used to sit and watch/help Mom can stuff as a kid, and would love to pick it up again.

Plus, once I have pods, I'll about have to. :)

[Chiliac]

Nice work. What recipe are you using for pickled peppers?

I was about to ask the same question. Would be cool if you could share it!

[Caustic Casey]

Looking good Casey, now you need to dry some( so you can have powder) or chop some up for freezing ( used for cooking anything.) That's a nice crop you have there and the work is so worth it.

Yeah ,the two ziplocks in the pic contain dried peppers - I got the excaliber dehydrator working overtime.

[Caustic Casey]

I was about to ask the same question. Would be cool if you could share it!

I'd be happy to -
Although all measurements are approximate --
Makes 4 pints or 2 quarts..

-2 lbs peppers, I use red and orange habs, tabascos, serrano's, thai and super cayennes, mostly...
-About 2 cups distilled white vinegar
-About 2 cups water
-About 4 tsps pickling salt
-Garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed with the side of a knife
-Peppercorns
-1/2 of a bay leaf per jar
-dash of allspice per jar or allspice berries

- boil your mason jars for 10 minutes, caps a little less.
-bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil in a seperate pot.
- divide the garlic and the other dried ingredients among the removed hot mason jars
-slice the peppers in half and pack the jars. You may want to wear gloves...
-pour the hot vinegar over the peppers, leave a 1/4 inch of headspace, and push out any air bubbles with a butterknife or similar...
-screw on your canning lids and rings
-process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Be sure the boiling water covers the jars.

Let cool, and wait about a month before delving into heavenly hell.

Here is the book I use, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Pickling-Flavor-Packed-Recipes-Produce/dp/1558321330

I make some killer habanero dill pickles and many other treats, thanks to the ideas from this book.

Enjoy

[skealo]

Thanks, I'm gonna give it a go!

[Chiliac]

Yeah, thanks! Sounds good. I wanna try various methods to see what works best for me.

[915river]

That is nice don't complain you got going my friend that is the way to go never is to many that is harvest about to enjoy year hard work.

[bjs2006]

What variety are those large pods to the left?

[Caustic Casey]

What variety are those large pods to the left?

They were labelled "super cayennes", I thought that just meant I would get nice sized cayennes, but these are huge and the yield is incredible. They are more like italian frying peppers, except bright red and kinda hot - nowhere near as hot as normal cayennes...

[Wrennie]

Nice crop there!

[PrairieChilihead]

What variety are those large pods to the left?

That is exactly what I wanted to know! They look like Holy Moles but red instead of brown. Sweet! What a fabulous assortment of peppers! Nice work! Do they retain their crispness when pickled - like cucumbers do when pickled?

[Caustic Casey]

That is exactly what I wanted to know! They look like Holy Moles but red instead of brown. Sweet! What a fabulous assortment of peppers! Nice work! Do they retain their crispness when pickled - like cucumbers do when pickled?

For the most part, they get kinda soft in the jar due to the boiling water canning method, but still are delicious!

[LUCKYDOG]

Looks like you are in the same boat as I -- enjoy ...last year was horrible for me so karma finally paid me a visit

[Sanj]

So...you do not need a pressure cooker for canning?
I never canned before, so asking.

[AlabamaJack]

I am not an expert but....from what I have read, you need a pressure cooker for canning low acid foods but a hot water canning method will work for high acid foods...please...someone correct me if I am wrong...

[LUCKYDOG]

You are correct (I think ;)) AJ

Waterbath canning is suitable for high-acid foods which are naturally bacteria-resistant: salsa, jam, pickles, asparagus in vinegar, mustard, etc. Low-acid foods, like fruit in syrup or very sweet tomatoes, can get botulism even if properly jarred at 200F. That's why you need to jar them at a higher temperature, which means pressure canning, which can go up to 250F.

For waterbath canning, you can use any large pot. I find that depth is more important than breadth, because with a sufficiently deep pot (I used food service stockpot which is 22" high) you can do two layers of jars (or even 3 layers of half-pints). Each jar needs to be completely surrounded by water on all sides, including the bottom and at least 2" of water on top. I use round cooling racks to space the tops & bottoms of jars. And get a non-slip jar puller, you'll be glad you did. Also, a candy or instand-read termometer is helpful for keeping the water at the right temperature.

Hope that helps Im not an expert as I just started and this is from what I have been told. I've been doing a lot of peppers (naturlly) pickles and tomatoes plenty of vinegar and lemon juice to go around in my house :lol:

[peter pepper]

looks like a good little crop. I like the pickled peppers recipe - thanks.

from my experience (limited) with canning - I have canned tomatoes the past couple of years. I do pints - and just use the biggest pot I have. I add the jars and fill as full as I can get it. I have never covered the top of the jar with water, but my jars always seal. Oh since tomatoes are low in acid I add about 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice per pint. I think the reason you can do peppers/etc w/o a pressure cooker is because of the vinegar.

From what I have read a pressure cooker is probably safer - but you can get away with a water bath.

course i could be wrong about all this.

[AlabamaJack]

Oh since tomatoes are low in acid


I thought most tomatos were high acid?

[LUCKYDOG]

Newer varieties are lower in acid and adding vinegar or lemon juice insures against any nasties

http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3320.htm
Acidification: To ensure safe acidity in whole, crushed or juiced tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or ½ teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid. Acid can be added directly to the jars before filling with product. Add sugar to offset acid taste, if desired. Four tablespoons of vinegar with a 5 percent acidity per quart may be used instead of bottled lemon juice or citric acid. However, vinegar may cause undesirable flavor changes.


Bottled lemon juice has a higher acidity than fresh lemons by the way -- I add 1Tbsp per quart and it didnt change the flavor much -- I mean you could do it with out but I went with the side of safety.