preserving habaneros
 

My habanero plant is absolutely covered with peppers and they're
starting to turn orange - this, in addition to, some other varieties of
chili peppers that appear ready to harvest and it's too much to deal
with at once.
What's the best way to keep them for the longest amount of time?
Freeze the fresh peppers? Dry? (in the oven?) Dry, then freeze?
About how long can I keep them with any of these methods?
How long would homemade hot sauce or salsa keep in the fridge?
-thanks

preserving habaneros
 

You probably are aware that habs have a bad habit of rotting if not used
rather quickly. Oven drying will work if you dry them at a very low temp
for a long time, however the downside is the smell and eye irritant issues
in the house. I've had very good luck in the past when I smoked them dry.
I cut off the tops and removed the seeds and membranes with some long
kitchen tweezers. I highly recommend using gloves to do this. If you
don't, you will invariably touch around your eyes (or more sensitive body
parts *wink*) I promise you don't want to do that. I used a small backyard
smoker and I used charcoal for heat and mesquite wood for the smoke, but
hickory, pecan or apple wood would work.
Smoke them on a VERY low temp for a long time and check them often. You
will be able to tell when they are dry. I still use some that I have in a
spice jar which I smoked over 5 years ago.
good luck!
"frank megaweege" wrote in message
oups.com...
My habanero plant is absolutely covered with peppers and they're
starting to turn orange - this, in addition to, some other varieties of
chili peppers that appear ready to harvest and it's too much to deal
with at once.
What's the best way to keep them for the longest amount of time?
Freeze the fresh peppers? Dry? (in the oven?) Dry, then freeze?
About how long can I keep them with any of these methods?
How long would homemade hot sauce or salsa keep in the fridge?
-thanks

preserving habaneros
 

"frank megaweege" wrote in message
oups.com...
My habanero plant is absolutely covered with peppers and they're
starting to turn orange - this, in addition to, some other varieties of
chili peppers that appear ready to harvest and it's too much to deal
with at once.
What's the best way to keep them for the longest amount of time?
Freeze the fresh peppers? Dry? (in the oven?) Dry, then freeze?
About how long can I keep them with any of these methods?
How long would homemade hot sauce or salsa keep in the fridge?
-thanks


Most ovens are too warm to properly dry chilies. But you can try it. Just
watch things closely. I have a dryer and it works great for chilies, even
habaneros. I do it in the attic with good ventilation. Also wear gloves
when handling the chilies. I buy packages of 100 latex or similar gloves at
a time. I also recommend wearing goggles and a gas mask if you grind them.
_________________
John Henry Wheeler
Washington, DC
USDA Zone 7

preserving habaneros
 

In article
,
"Compostman" wrote:

"frank megaweege" wrote in message
oups.com...
My habanero plant is absolutely covered with peppers and they're
starting to turn orange - this, in addition to, some other varieties of
chili peppers that appear ready to harvest and it's too much to deal
with at once.
What's the best way to keep them for the longest amount of time?
Freeze the fresh peppers? Dry? (in the oven?) Dry, then freeze?
About how long can I keep them with any of these methods?
How long would homemade hot sauce or salsa keep in the fridge?
-thanks


Most ovens are too warm to properly dry chilies. But you can try it. Just
watch things closely. I have a dryer and it works great for chilies, even
habaneros. I do it in the attic with good ventilation. Also wear gloves
when handling the chilies. I buy packages of 100 latex or similar gloves at
a time. I also recommend wearing goggles and a gas mask if you grind them.
_________________
John Henry Wheeler
Washington, DC
USDA Zone 7

What about just canning them?
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

preserving habaneros
 

frank megaweege wrote:
My habanero plant is absolutely covered with peppers and they're
starting to turn orange - this, in addition to, some other varieties of
chili peppers that appear ready to harvest and it's too much to deal
with at once.
What's the best way to keep them for the longest amount of time?
Freeze the fresh peppers? Dry? (in the oven?) Dry, then freeze?
About how long can I keep them with any of these methods?
How long would homemade hot sauce or salsa keep in the fridge?
-thanks



Freeze them. They will take up less room if you cut them up first
(large dice works well.) They will last for years in the freezer. Wear
rubber gloves when you chop them, and throw the gloves away.

Bob

preserving habaneros
 

In article ,
zxcvbob wrote:

frank megaweege wrote:
My habanero plant is absolutely covered with peppers and they're
starting to turn orange - this, in addition to, some other varieties of
chili peppers that appear ready to harvest and it's too much to deal
with at once.
What's the best way to keep them for the longest amount of time?
Freeze the fresh peppers? Dry? (in the oven?) Dry, then freeze?
About how long can I keep them with any of these methods?
How long would homemade hot sauce or salsa keep in the fridge?
-thanks



Freeze them. They will take up less room if you cut them up first
(large dice works well.) They will last for years in the freezer. Wear
rubber gloves when you chop them, and throw the gloves away.

Bob

Disposable latex and latex free gloves are available in the paint
section at Lowe's and other home improvement stores. They are cheap.

I use them for a LOT of kitchen work, including working with garlic
(when I'm crushing large amounts of it), slicing or processing hot
chilies, and mixing ground meats.

I made meatballs the other day and wore disposable latex gloves. It was
SO nice and tidy! :-)

I just hate getting grease all over my hands. ;-p

I also use them for doing any spray painting, or scrubbing items with
bleach or acid solutions. My hands are a lot happier. ;-)
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

preserving habaneros
 

Thomas (dot) wrote:
You probably are aware that habs have a bad habit of rotting if not used
rather quickly. Oven drying will work if you dry them at a very low temp
for a long time, however the downside is the smell and eye irritant issues
in the house. I've had very good luck in the past when I smoked them dry.
I cut off the tops and removed the seeds and membranes with some long
kitchen tweezers. I highly recommend using gloves to do this. If you
don't, you will invariably touch around your eyes (or more sensitive body
parts *wink*) I promise you don't want to do that. I used a small backyard
smoker and I used charcoal for heat and mesquite wood for the smoke, but
hickory, pecan or apple wood would work.
Smoke them on a VERY low temp for a long time and check them often. You
will be able to tell when they are dry. I still use some that I have in a
spice jar which I smoked over 5 years ago.
good luck!

I'm still not sure what approach I'll take. I don't have a dehydrator
or a smoker and don't want to fumigate the house buy using the oven. I
may throw some in the freezer for now and experiment on some others
with a charcoal grill.

preserving habaneros
 

In article om,
"frank megaweege" wrote:

Thomas (dot) wrote:
You probably are aware that habs have a bad habit of rotting if not used
rather quickly. Oven drying will work if you dry them at a very low temp
for a long time, however the downside is the smell and eye irritant issues
in the house. I've had very good luck in the past when I smoked them dry.
I cut off the tops and removed the seeds and membranes with some long
kitchen tweezers. I highly recommend using gloves to do this. If you
don't, you will invariably touch around your eyes (or more sensitive body
parts *wink*) I promise you don't want to do that. I used a small backyard
smoker and I used charcoal for heat and mesquite wood for the smoke, but
hickory, pecan or apple wood would work.
Smoke them on a VERY low temp for a long time and check them often. You
will be able to tell when they are dry. I still use some that I have in a
spice jar which I smoked over 5 years ago.
good luck!

I'm still not sure what approach I'll take. I don't have a dehydrator
or a smoker and don't want to fumigate the house buy using the oven. I
may throw some in the freezer for now and experiment on some others
with a charcoal grill.

And everybody is ignoring my canning suggestion.... :-(

Thanks.

IMHO freezing ruins peppers.
I've ended up tossing every frozen pepper me or my mom every tried.

They are......

gross.

I have a dehydrator. Drying in small amounts should be no big deal.

If the smell is that bad, do it out in the garage or a sheltered outdoor
area with an extension cord.

I dry peppers every year, Jalapenos, bell strips and chili petins and
feed most of them to my cockatoo. They are a rich source of vitamin C
that birds need.

She loves them and fresh citrus is messy and attracts fruit flies.

But I'd never offer her an Habanero. ;-) That'd be mean....

Her favorite is a handful of fresh chili petins in her food dish. She
ends up with a pink beak and I refuse to play "kissy bird" when she has
pigged out on them. G I have a hyooge bush of them in the yard that is
a perennial.

Gives a whole new meaning to the concept of "hot lips". ;-)
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

preserving habaneros
 

In article om,
"frank megaweege" wrote:


And everybody is ignoring my canning suggestion.... :-(


I've never done any canning and don't have the supplies so I guess
that's why I ignored it. Plus it seems like a jar full might still be
too much at once, after I opened it.

Sorry excuse... Canning jars come as small as 4 oz. G

Smoking some other drying method is making sense to me because then I
could use it a little bit at a time.

Agreed.

I just don't agree with freezing based on _personal_ experience! At
least without blanching somehow and I'm not convinced of that.

I need to research dehydrators.

It's not rocket science. I've gotten excellent results on a simple,
cheap convection dehydrator from "Harbor Freight" for around $30.00 per
unit, even doing jerky.

Meat can get touchy. Veggies are no big deal.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

preserving habaneros
 

Well, I am interested in your canning idea for your peppers. I normally just
freeze what I have but would like your recipe for doing this.
This year I use a package of seeds that just said hot mixed peppers and
well saying they are hot is a understatement. I made the mistake of taking a
bite out of a round one (which I thought was just an immature sweet green
pepper) and burnt my mouth.
--
:) Lynn


"OmManiPadmeOmelet" wrote in message
...
And everybody is ignoring my canning suggestion.... :-(

Thanks.

IMHO freezing ruins peppers.
I've ended up tossing every frozen pepper me or my mom every tried.

They are......

gross.

I have a dehydrator. Drying in small amounts should be no big deal.

If the smell is that bad, do it out in the garage or a sheltered outdoor
area with an extension cord.

I dry peppers every year, Jalapenos, bell strips and chili petins and
feed most of them to my cockatoo. They are a rich source of vitamin C
that birds need.

She loves them and fresh citrus is messy and attracts fruit flies.

But I'd never offer her an Habanero. ;-) That'd be mean....

Her favorite is a handful of fresh chili petins in her food dish. She
ends up with a pink beak and I refuse to play "kissy bird" when she has
pigged out on them. G I have a hyooge bush of them in the yard that is
a perennial.

Gives a whole new meaning to the concept of "hot lips". ;-)
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

preserving habaneros
 

In article ,
"Lynn" wrote:


Well, I am interested in your canning idea for your peppers. I normally just
freeze what I have but would like your recipe for doing this.
This year I use a package of seeds that just said hot mixed peppers and
well saying they are hot is a understatement. I made the mistake of taking a
bite out of a round one (which I thought was just an immature sweet green
pepper) and burnt my mouth.
--
:) Lynn

Oops... and owch eh? G

I've always dried peppers, but I'll post over on RFC and see if Barb has
a canning recipe for them.

She cans _everything_!!!
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

preserving habaneros
 

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:

And everybody is ignoring my canning suggestion.... :-(
Thanks.

It will not be a good method for habaneros. You will have to pressure
can them for a long time and they will turn to mush.

But here's how to do it if you really want to try:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_04/peppers.html

It seems to be mostly aimed at thick-fleshed peppers rather than
thin-fleshed peppers like habaneros.

IMHO freezing ruins peppers.
I've ended up tossing every frozen pepper me or my mom every tried.

They are......
gross.


You don't freeze them for eating fresh, you freeze them for cooking
with. Especially habaneros because they are so hot.


Best regards,
Bob

preserving habaneros
 

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 21:25:58 -0500, OmManiPadmeOmelet
wrote:

In article ,
"Lynn" wrote:


Well, I am interested in your canning idea for your peppers. I normally just
freeze what I have but would like your recipe for doing this.
This year I use a package of seeds that just said hot mixed peppers and
well saying they are hot is a understatement. I made the mistake of taking a
bite out of a round one (which I thought was just an immature sweet green
pepper) and burnt my mouth.
--
:) Lynn

Oops... and owch eh? G

I've always dried peppers, but I'll post over on RFC and see if Barb has
a canning recipe for them.

She cans _everything_!!!

I just checked the latest Ball Blue Book and the new Ball Complete
Guide to Canning and for hot peppers they only list freezing and
drying.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

preserving habaneros
 

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
In article ,
"Lynn" wrote:


Well, I am interested in your canning idea for your peppers. I normally just
freeze what I have but would like your recipe for doing this.
This year I use a package of seeds that just said hot mixed peppers and
well saying they are hot is a understatement. I made the mistake of taking a
bite out of a round one (which I thought was just an immature sweet green
pepper) and burnt my mouth.
--
:) Lynn


Oops... and owch eh? G

I've always dried peppers, but I'll post over on RFC and see if Barb has
a canning recipe for them.

She cans _everything_!!!

AFAIK Barb doesn't can peppers. Canning them will not make them like
fresh peppers. Mostly you end up making a pickle of them as follows:

Cap the peppers so the pickle can get inside and out. Sterilize a jar,
fill full of peppers. Bring a pickle of 50:50 5% vinegar and water with
whatever pickling spices you might like to a boil. Pour over the peppers
in the jar and put on the lid and ring, hand tighten. Boiling water bath
for at least 5 minutes, take out and allow to sit on a folded towel for
24 hours. Should last up to two years with no problems.

George

preserving habaneros
 

In article ,
George Shirley wrote:


AFAIK Barb doesn't can peppers. Canning them will not make them like
fresh peppers. Mostly you end up making a pickle of them as follows:

Cap the peppers so the pickle can get inside and out. Sterilize a jar,
fill full of peppers. Bring a pickle of 50:50 5% vinegar and water with
whatever pickling spices you might like to a boil. Pour over the peppers
in the jar and put on the lid and ring, hand tighten. Boiling water bath
for at least 5 minutes, take out and allow to sit on a folded towel for
24 hours. Should last up to two years with no problems.

George

That sounds about like the ones we get in the store.
I've purchased canned Jalapenos and I actually like them better for
stuffing than the fresh ones. They are more tender and easy to eat.
Good either fried or grilled.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

preserving habaneros
 

I will try this with some.Mostly I will be just using them as a salsa or
chilli ingred

--
:) Lynn ---DOF Leaper
Smokers are a dying breed

"George Shirley" wrote in message
. ..

AFAIK Barb doesn't can peppers. Canning them will not make them like fresh
peppers. Mostly you end up making a pickle of them as follows:

Cap the peppers so the pickle can get inside and out. Sterilize a jar,
fill full of peppers. Bring a pickle of 50:50 5% vinegar and water with
whatever pickling spices you might like to a boil. Pour over the peppers
in the jar and put on the lid and ring, hand tighten. Boiling water bath
for at least 5 minutes, take out and allow to sit on a folded towel for 24
hours. Should last up to two years with no problems.

George

preserving habaneros
 

I can't speak to the dehydrating side of things but I have been happy
with both the habs I have frozen and also alcohol soaked.

For the freezing I just put them in a glass jar and pick out a whole
pepper when I need it. I've kept them this way for over a year. Yes,
they do get mushy when I drop them in a soup or stew but the heat is
still there and that is all I care about. No muss no fuss.

I also have diced up some habs, put them in an old, empty large
Tabasco sauce bottle, about 1/3 full and then filled the jar with
vodka. Mmmmmm. (I've also done the same with whole peppercorns)

I guess it would be a bad thing if you put too much pepper and not
enough hooch, then the proof is too low and cooties will grow.
Everclear is your friend! :-)

I know firsthand that if you put wet peppers in a jar and top with
oil, nasty stuff will soon bloom and if you are dumb and use it on
food, I assume you will get very sick or even dead.

JJ

preserving habaneros
 

Thomas (dot) wrote:
....
I used a small backyard
smoker and I used charcoal for heat and mesquite wood for the smoke, but
hickory, pecan or apple wood would work.
Smoke them on a VERY low temp for a long time and check them often. You
will be able to tell when they are dry. I still use some that I have in a
spice jar which I smoked over 5 years ago.
good luck!


I tried to smoke some in a regular covered charcoal grill with wood
chips this weekend. I'm not sure but they may have gotten burned.
They're pretty brown and shriveled. I guess I'll have to try some
tonight to see if they taste ok.

preserving habaneros
 

frank megaweege wrote:
Thomas (dot) wrote:
...
I used a small backyard
smoker and I used charcoal for heat and mesquite wood for the smoke, but
hickory, pecan or apple wood would work.
Smoke them on a VERY low temp for a long time and check them often. You
will be able to tell when they are dry. I still use some that I have in a
spice jar which I smoked over 5 years ago.
good luck!


I tried to smoke some in a regular covered charcoal grill with wood
chips this weekend. I'm not sure but they may have gotten burned.
They're pretty brown and shriveled. I guess I'll have to try some
tonight to see if they taste ok.

I actually think they came out great. I used a weber-style grill.
Built a small charcoal pile near the front of the grill and threw a
handful of mesquite chips on top. The habs were on the little warming
grill, a few inches higher than the main grill and towards the back, so
as not to get direct heat. I got it going, closed the lid and didn't
check back until the charcoal was spent. The habs were shrunken and
shriveled but still fleshy and somewhat moist. I repeated the process
again. The next morning they appeared too brown at first glance and I
was afraid I'd ruined them. They were lightweight husks now, and upon
further inspection not really burnt but darkened. I crushed them up,
some parts brittle, others a bit more tough and put them in a jar. I
chewed up a piece about the size of a quarter, and it had a great smoky
flavor, although it was way too hot to be eaten like that. I'll crush
them up some more and use to make a jerk rub and add the bigger pieces
to stir fry or pop into the blender with other salsa ingredients.