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Celtic Radio Community > From Your Kitchen to My Plate > Preserving Food

Posted by: Shadows 18-Sep-2005, 12:57 PM

I thought I already had a topic here for this , but I guess not! Today I spent the better part of the afternoon roasting both Sweet Red Peppers and Jalopenas. I have one of those vacumm sealer things and thought it would be nice to have roasted peppers into the winter months without paying the high price of the markets this winter. I "roasted" my peppers in a very hot cast iron skillet until blackened, placed them in a paper lunch bag and closed it so the steam could work on the skins. I then easily pulled the skins from the peppers and cut into strips and drained well. I then placed about 2 peppers worth of these treasures into the bags for the sealer. labeled and froze them. I will let you know how they keep latter this winter, but I think they will be just grand!

Posted by: maggiemahone1 18-Sep-2005, 05:54 PM

When the children were at home, I always canned our veggies and fruits. Now it's just hubby and me and I go to the grocery store and buy them. I don't do the cooking I used to do. I've gotten lazy in my maturing years! maggiemahone1

Posted by: Rindy 18-Sep-2005, 10:15 PM

I just got done also Shadows. I did anaheims. I roast in the oven under broil and some on the outdoor grill put in a plastic sack twist tight let cool peel & seed and I put them in ziplocks and freeze I have done this for several years they seem to keep fine.. Slainte

Posted by: cynni 19-Sep-2005, 05:12 AM

Does anybody know the best way to store Habenero peppers? I have a bunch of them and would really appreciate any advice I could get.

Posted by: stoirmeil 19-Sep-2005, 08:50 AM

QUOTE (cynni @ 19-Sep-2005, 06:12 AM) Does anybody know the best way to store Habenero peppers? I have a bunch of them and would really appreciate any advice I could get. Hmmm -- interesting question. It would be hard to treat them the way you would with the bigger peppers (roasting and peeling), first because they are small and that odd shape (these are the things that are also called scotch bonnets, I believe), and second because handling them a lot would be hazardous . I suppose you could string them and hang them up in a warm corner, and let them air-dry. Dpends on how much humidity you have -- they might get moldy if it's too damp. Or you might cut them in half and remove the seeds, then dry them on a cookie sheet, cut side up, in a very low oven -- 200 degrees or less -- then store them in a container that has a bit of air circulation to prevent mold. They will have a very concentrated heat if you do that, though, especially if you leave the seeds in, and I think you'd need less in a recipe. Or -- maybe you could pickle them . Here is a really cute site I found about how to pickle peppers, including habaneros: http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/pickle.html Notice the suggestion about pickling them in alcohol! This is the season I always go looking for a couple bushels of the last of the sweet red bell peppers, for the lowest price they will be all year. I usually just seed them and cut them up into chunks and freeze them raw in heavy ziplocks, for my cooking all winter, but I'm going to try these ideas about roasting them before freezing, too. I love that roast pepper flavor.

Posted by: Shadows 19-Sep-2005, 03:53 PM

QUOTE (cynni @ 19-Sep-2005, 07:12 AM) Does anybody know the best way to store Habenero peppers? I have a bunch of them and would really appreciate any advice I could get. I freeze my Habeneros, after rinsing them well , in freezer bags ( this works well ), I dehydrate some and store for later use, I smoked and dehydrate some and then cruch finely and use as a table condiment for things I want to have more kick then my usual table ground hot pepper. If I am lucky enough to have some go red before the first frost I roast them and cut with out de-skinning ( these are very good ). Almost forgot... I make hot sauce out of them with a little salt and vinegar. Hope these ideas help.

Posted by: Shadows 24-Sep-2005, 06:25 AM

QUOTE (maggiemahone1 @ 18-Sep-2005, 07:54 PM) When the children were at home, I always canned our veggies and fruits. Now it's just hubby and me and I go to the grocery store and buy them. I don't do the cooking I used to do. I've gotten lazy in my maturing years! maggiemahone1 Well if you are in your maturing years, then I guesss that makes me an old fart... I have a year on you child LOL!!! My wife and I still garden and preserve our crops ( sounds like I hava a big garden huh , LOL ) you never know when any or all of the 6 kids will drop by for a meal LOL! And we still cook from scratch everyday.

Posted by: Shadows 24-Sep-2005, 06:30 AM

Waste not want not! Do you have extra Roma ( Italian type ) tomatoes? Do you have a dehydrator? Why pay all that money for those "sun dried tomatoes" when you can make them right at home. Harvest. wash, cut in half, lightly salt the cut side, place in dehydrator cut side up until almost dry, turn over with cut side down until dry. Place in storage bags or store in olive oil in which garlic has been infused. VERY TATSTY!

Posted by: cynni 24-Sep-2005, 07:51 PM

I wish I had some Roma tomatoes. That sounds very interesting. Iwill get me a couple of plants next year and try that. With my tomatoes that I do plant I usually make juice. I have over 30 quarts of juice. And i still have some more to can. I will probably freeze most of the H.peppers. But will also dehydrate some of them also. My husband mainly uses them in his Chili Soup. Which is really super hot. Thanks for the advice. Will give them all a try.

Posted by: Shadows 09-Oct-2005, 07:15 AM

Well I tried the alcohol preserving and let me tell you what.... Great method so far!!! I used habenaros in rum and super chilies in gin! The added flavor to my chili is wonderful and a gin and tonic takes on a different life all it's own. have not tried to use the rum yet but give me time LOL! I want to try scotch next year with the supper chilies and a dry sherry with the habenaros ( I know this is done in the islands already ).

Posted by: 3Ravens 11-Oct-2005, 02:05 AM

Put a couple (or more) hot peppers in a one gal carboy of ginger mead. When you rack off into bottles after fermentation, leave the peppers behind. Six months or more later, that mead will LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE!!! Whooooo, goooood stuff!

Posted by: stoirmeil 11-Oct-2005, 11:52 AM

Peppers do marry well with alcohol. I suspect that between the ginger and the peppers, it will be the consumer himself who will be preserved. (No no no no no, I'm not getting back to embalming recipes, I promise. )

Posted by: Shadows 30-Oct-2005, 06:59 AM

I used the first of my Alcohol pickled peppers last nite with some chicken ... WOW! The entire flavor of the pepper was changed and I think the heat was intensified. The one's I used were the Supper Chillies I preserved in gin. I can just imagine how the Habenneros in rum will turn out. I will attempt to make a drink from the gin when the bottle is empty of peppers , but I can tell you it will be more then warm!

Posted by: stoirmeil 30-Oct-2005, 06:02 PM

QUOTE (Shadows @ 30-Oct-2005, 07:59 AM) I will attempt to make a drink from the gin when the bottle is empty of peppers , but I can tell you it will be more then warm! Wicked! Something like a Bloody Mary, I guess. You know, I have the feeling you would have a very nice, comforting remedy for a bad, feverish cold if you were to siphon off some of that gin or rum (rum better, maybe) and add fresh grated ginger and crushed fennel seed, then let that age a bit. Maybe add honey to it, when you want to use it, to thicken it up to something more like a cordial, and some fresh lemon juice. Never mind as a depression remedy. Forget Prozac.

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