Pickled Peppers

You can call me Peter Piper because I just pickled some peppers!  This is my third foray into pickling.  I tried it earlier this summer with some jalapenos and red onions.  The first time it was as a topping for our taco bar, and the second time was for hamburgers and hot dogs off the grill.  Both times our guests really seemed to like them.  I actually got an e-mail from one of my out of town friends that said the pickled onions really made the burger something special.

This time our friend Eric gave me a bunch of red & green jalapeno peppers from their garden.  He asked, “How many will you eat?  Because I have at least this many more ready to be picked.”  I told him I’d take them all.  I said I would pickle and jar them so they’ll be available when he comes over to watch football at our house this fall.  Eric is a heat seeker when it comes to food. 

They are traditionally great with some nachos.  But like I said above, you can use them on tacos, burgers, hot dogs … heck, even pizzas.

There are so many different directions you can go with pickling.  It can be sweet, spicy, citrus-y (?).  The important thing is to get some quality non-iodized pickling salt.  It has also been suggested to use distilled water if you’re going to add any water to your brine.

But you can use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, you name it.  And you can add sugar, or not.  Mustard seeds, garlic, bay leaves, coriander, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon or lime juice, and cinnamon are all suitable additions.  I say you tinker around with it and see what you like.

I sliced up the jalapenos with some fresh sweet peppers and rinsed them off quick to wash away some of the seeds.  Then I threw them into my boiling brine.  Let them go for a few minutes and then remove them from the heat.  Pour them into a jar and let them cool to room temperature before putting the lid on and throwing them into the fridge.  You can also preserve them for later; but I’m pretty sure they will be eaten quickly!