When you're preparing to can, choose young, fresh peppers.
It's no fun to bite into soggy, lifeless pickled pepper. The process of canning peppers, from mild green to the hottest jalapenos, is arduous and requires the correct conditions and equipment. The peppers are pickled in an acidic mixture to prevent botulism, a potentially fatal bacterium. This process usually breaks down the peppers, causing them to become limp. There are several ways, however, to help you keep your pickled peppers firm and tasty.
Instructions
1. Choose peppers that are healthy and crisp to begin with. Attempting to can old, rotten or limp limp peppers will lead to pickled peppers that are also limp and lifeless.
2. Create brine from 1 gallon boiling water and 1/2 cup kosher salt. Allow the brine to boil down for 20 minutes before adding the peppers. Refrigerate the brine and peppers for one to two days. Remove the peppers from the brine and rinse them well under a cool tap.
3. Can the pickles in distilled water. Hard water contains minerals that break down canned peppers.
4. Add kosher or sea salt to the mixture instead of iodized salt. These salts are less likely to cause limp pickled peppers than regular table salt.
Tags: pickled peppers, kosher salt, peppers from, peppers that
