I figure you'll know something about this.

I have several jalapeño plants going, with maybe two
dozen peppers still on them. They've all gone a
beautiful deep red. Earlier, I smoked some of them
over mesquite wood (not charcoal), and came up with
some decent chipotles. I'd like to pickle some of
these, possibly with some other vegetables, and wonder
if you (or anyone else) have any tips.

Jonathan Ball wrote:
> I figure you'll know something about this.
>
> I have several jalapeño plants going, with maybe two dozen peppers still
> on them. They've all gone a beautiful deep red. Earlier, I smoked some
> of them over mesquite wood (not charcoal), and came up with some decent
> chipotles. I'd like to pickle some of these, possibly with some other
> vegetables, and wonder if you (or anyone else) have any tips.

You have several options. First, you can pickle them alone. I just use a
traditional pickling brine and add a bit of garlic; I also use a 2:1
vinegar-water ration for most of my pickling (which is pretty strong).
The peppers can be pickled whole or sliced. Sliced peppers tend to be
hotter since the capsaicin inside of the peppers is fully exposed; it
really depends how hot your particular peppers are to start, though. The
easiest way to do this would be to get some prepared pickling spices to
make a brine (I think Whole Foods has it in bulk). You can just use a
brine of water, vinegar, and salt for peppers, but I like a little more
flavor. Also, Spike seasoning works pretty well as a pickling spice.

Second, you can make a spicy pickled medley -- kind of like the jars on
the shelf at the store. I don't know what you have in your garden, but
my favorites would include cauliflower, carrots, turnips (or daikon
radish), green beans, cabbage (strips -- try red for color contrast),
onion, garlic, and cucumber. You can use whatever you like. You can also
use pickling spices or just plain brine. The veggies will get a lot of
the heat from the jalapeños even if you don't slice them. I'm a serious
heat freak, so I'd slice'em anyway.

Both of the above will require processing in a canning bath and about
4-6 weeks storage. Any standard pickling recipe/procedure will work for
jalapeños.

An alternative to the second idea if you don't want to do any formal
canning is to make a "quick" pickling, kind of like an Asian pickle. The
link below is for a Malaysian style pickle (acar) that only needs a day
or two in the fridge. You can use it as a guide for another "fast
pickle" if you don't have (or want) lemongrass or galangal. You could
use other vegetables (from the same list above) as well.
http://www.magma.ca/~pfeiffer/sharon/vegetable.htm#acar

One final idea, you could make a condiment similar to Huy Fong chili
sauce out of them. It's basically pureed red jalapeños, garlic, salt,
and vinegar. I don't have a precise recipe for this, but I'd start by
pureeing the peppers and garlic (as much or as little as you like) and
adding a lighter vinegar (diluted cider vinegar, maybe) until I was
satisfied with the consistency. Salt to taste.

Hope that's helpful.

usual suspect wrote:

> Jonathan Ball wrote:
>
>> I figure you'll know something about this.
>>
>> I have several jalapeño plants going, with maybe two dozen peppers
>> still on them. They've all gone a beautiful deep red. Earlier, I
>> smoked some of them over mesquite wood (not charcoal), and came up
>> with some decent chipotles. I'd like to pickle some of these,
>> possibly with some other vegetables, and wonder if you (or anyone
>> else) have any tips.
>
>
> You have several options. First, you can pickle them alone. I just use a
> traditional pickling brine and add a bit of garlic; I also use a 2:1
> vinegar-water ration for most of my pickling (which is pretty strong).
> The peppers can be pickled whole or sliced. Sliced peppers tend to be
> hotter since the capsaicin inside of the peppers is fully exposed; it
> really depends how hot your particular peppers are to start, though. The
> easiest way to do this would be to get some prepared pickling spices to
> make a brine (I think Whole Foods has it in bulk). You can just use a
> brine of water, vinegar, and salt for peppers, but I like a little more
> flavor. Also, Spike seasoning works pretty well as a pickling spice.
>
> Second, you can make a spicy pickled medley -- kind of like the jars on
> the shelf at the store.

This is more what I had in mind.

> I don't know what you have in your garden,

Nothing but a few small carrots. Not a problem; lots
of groceries nearby.

> but my favorites would include cauliflower, carrots, turnips (or daikon
> radish), green beans, cabbage (strips -- try red for color contrast),
> onion, garlic, and cucumber. You can use whatever you like. You can also
> use pickling spices or just plain brine. The veggies will get a lot of
> the heat from the jalapeños even if you don't slice them. I'm a serious
> heat freak, so I'd slice'em anyway.

I like things pretty hot, although I can't eat as hot
as I used to do. My wife doesn't like hot at all, so I
don't get to eat as much of it any more. When I eat
hot, I eat a *lot* of reasonably hot. My burritos are
pretty well swimming in hot sauce at the Mexican fast
food joints, and some of them make some fairly hot stuff.

>
> Both of the above will require processing in a canning bath and about
> 4-6 weeks storage. Any standard pickling recipe/procedure will work for
> jalapeños.
>
> An alternative to the second idea if you don't want to do any formal
> canning is to make a "quick" pickling, kind of like an Asian pickle. The
> link below is for a Malaysian style pickle (acar) that only needs a day
> or two in the fridge. You can use it as a guide for another "fast
> pickle" if you don't have (or want) lemongrass or galangal.

Both readily available around here.

> You could
> use other vegetables (from the same list above) as well.
> http://www.magma.ca/~pfeiffer/sharon/vegetable.htm#acar
>
> One final idea, you could make a condiment similar to Huy Fong chili
> sauce out of them. It's basically pureed red jalapeños, garlic, salt,
> and vinegar. I don't have a precise recipe for this, but I'd start by
> pureeing the peppers and garlic (as much or as little as you like) and
> adding a lighter vinegar (diluted cider vinegar, maybe) until I was
> satisfied with the consistency. Salt to taste.
>
> Hope that's helpful.

It is. Thanks.

You should see these peppers. They're beautiful. I
bought a pack of "Renée's Garden" jalapeño seeds two
years ago; something called "Paul's Piñata" variety. I
had some seeds left over from the original pack, plus
some that I reserved from last summer's crop. Both
sets of plants did quite well this year. The peppers
are pretty good sized, and almost a fire-engine red.
If I had a website, I'd post some pictures. Stay tuned...

Jonathan Ball wrote:
>>> I figure you'll know something about this.
>>>
>>> I have several jalapeño plants going, with maybe two dozen peppers
>>> still on them. They've all gone a beautiful deep red. Earlier, I
>>> smoked some of them over mesquite wood (not charcoal), and came up
>>> with some decent chipotles. I'd like to pickle some of these,
>>> possibly with some other vegetables, and wonder if you (or anyone
>>> else) have any tips.
>>
>> You have several options. First, you can pickle them alone. I just use
>> a traditional pickling brine and add a bit of garlic; I also use a 2:1
>> vinegar-water ration for most of my pickling (which is pretty strong).
>> The peppers can be pickled whole or sliced. Sliced peppers tend to be
>> hotter since the capsaicin inside of the peppers is fully exposed; it
>> really depends how hot your particular peppers are to start, though.
>> The easiest way to do this would be to get some prepared pickling
>> spices to make a brine (I think Whole Foods has it in bulk). You can
>> just use a brine of water, vinegar, and salt for peppers, but I like a
>> little more flavor. Also, Spike seasoning works pretty well as a
>> pickling spice.
>>
>> Second, you can make a spicy pickled medley -- kind of like the jars
>> on the shelf at the store.
>
> This is more what I had in mind.

I thought so.

>> I don't know what you have in your garden,
>
> Nothing but a few small carrots. Not a problem; lots of groceries nearby.

I forgot celery in the list.

>> but my favorites would include cauliflower, carrots, turnips (or
>> daikon radish), green beans, cabbage (strips -- try red for color
>> contrast), onion, garlic, and cucumber. You can use whatever you like.
>> You can also use pickling spices or just plain brine. The veggies will
>> get a lot of the heat from the jalapeños even if you don't slice them.
>> I'm a serious heat freak, so I'd slice'em anyway.
>
> I like things pretty hot, although I can't eat as hot as I used to do.
> My wife doesn't like hot at all, so I don't get to eat as much of it any
> more. When I eat hot, I eat a *lot* of reasonably hot. My burritos are
> pretty well swimming in hot sauce at the Mexican fast food joints, and
> some of them make some fairly hot stuff.
>
>> Both of the above will require processing in a canning bath and about
>> 4-6 weeks storage. Any standard pickling recipe/procedure will work
>> for jalapeños.
>>
>> An alternative to the second idea if you don't want to do any formal
>> canning is to make a "quick" pickling, kind of like an Asian pickle.
>> The link below is for a Malaysian style pickle (acar) that only needs
>> a day or two in the fridge. You can use it as a guide for another
>> "fast pickle" if you don't have (or want) lemongrass or galangal.
>
> Both readily available around here.

I know you're resourceful enough to find what you want, but I have no
way of knowing if you like either or were interested in making acar.

>> You could use other vegetables (from the same list above) as well.
>> http://www.magma.ca/~pfeiffer/sharon/vegetable.htm#acar
>>
>> One final idea, you could make a condiment similar to Huy Fong chili
>> sauce out of them. It's basically pureed red jalapeños, garlic, salt,
>> and vinegar. I don't have a precise recipe for this, but I'd start by
>> pureeing the peppers and garlic (as much or as little as you like) and
>> adding a lighter vinegar (diluted cider vinegar, maybe) until I was
>> satisfied with the consistency. Salt to taste.
>>
>> Hope that's helpful.
>
> It is. Thanks.

Anytime.

> You should see these peppers. They're beautiful. I bought a pack of
> "Renée's Garden" jalapeño seeds two years ago; something called "Paul's
> Piñata" variety. I had some seeds left over from the original pack,
> plus some that I reserved from last summer's crop. Both sets of plants
> did quite well this year. The peppers are pretty good sized, and almost
> a fire-engine red. If I had a website, I'd post some pictures. Stay
> tuned...

I have a few heirloom varieties (including Paul's Piñata). Also have
smoe hybrids like Giants and Conchos, both of which are huge. I ended up
giving over half my peppers away, as usual. Renee's Garden is the brand
I use for my yellow carrots. They're really good.

usual suspect wrote:

> Jonathan Ball wrote:
>
[...]
>> You should see these peppers. They're beautiful. I bought a pack of
>> "Renée's Garden" jalapeño seeds two years ago; something called
>> "Paul's Piñata" variety. I had some seeds left over from the original
>> pack, plus some that I reserved from last summer's crop. Both sets of
>> plants did quite well this year. The peppers are pretty good sized,
>> and almost a fire-engine red. If I had a website, I'd post some
>> pictures. Stay tuned...
>
>
> I have a few heirloom varieties (including Paul's Piñata). Also have
> smoe hybrids like Giants and Conchos, both of which are huge. I ended up
> giving over half my peppers away, as usual. Renee's Garden is the brand
> I use for my yellow carrots. They're really good.

Renée's Garden is what I used for the carrots, too.

"Jonathan Ball" > wrote in message
k.net...
> usual suspect wrote:
>
> > Jonathan Ball wrote:
> >
> [...]
> >> You should see these peppers. They're beautiful. I bought a pack of
> >> "Renée's Garden" jalapeño seeds two years ago; something called
> >> "Paul's Piñata" variety. I had some seeds left over from the original
> >> pack, plus some that I reserved from last summer's crop. Both sets of
> >> plants did quite well this year. The peppers are pretty good sized,
> >> and almost a fire-engine red. If I had a website, I'd post some
> >> pictures. Stay tuned...
> >
> >
> > I have a few heirloom varieties (including Paul's Piñata). Also have
> > smoe hybrids like Giants and Conchos, both of which are huge. I ended up
> > giving over half my peppers away, as usual. Renee's Garden is the brand
> > I use for my yellow carrots. They're really good.
>
> Renée's Garden is what I used for the carrots, too.

Ah, how sweet.

>