Plain Peppers And Hot Peppers
Peppers, be they plain or hot, are used in a variety of dishes all over the world. There are so many varieties of peppers and all of them have a different flavor. Not only for the taste, but peppers also have health benefits, because they are nutritious and low in calories.
You must be using peppers in your kitchen to cook a variety of meals. But the sad part is, they are not available throughout the year. You have to wait for a particular season to buy or grow fresh peppers in your garden. So what can you do? Can you store peppers?
Yes, you can store peppers, which means you can buy them in their peak season, and use peppers all year round. But, how can you store peppers? What are the ways to store peppers? How long can you store peppers? Read on to know all about them!
How Can You Store Peppers?
You can store peppers either by freezing or by canning. Both of these methods work equally well for preserving the peppers for longer. You can freeze raw peppers, but it is better to blanch the peppers before canning.
Frozen peppers can last for about 8-10 months, while canned papers last for years. Whichever way you choose to preserve your peppers, storing them simply means you have a ready supply of peppers at your home. You can use them throughout the year.
Whether you are canning or freezing peppers, another important factor that needs to be taken care of is that they are stored under proper storage conditions. Otherwise, the preserved peppers will show texture and flavor alterations.
Freezing the peppers does not take much time, but canning them requires dedicated time: it takes hours. However, if you wish to keep your peppers for longer, it is always better to can them for storage.
Canning Plain Peppers
Canning peppers is a great way to store them for later use. Plain peppers are most commonly used for storage at home. You can store the peppers both raw and cooked, but it is always suggested to blanch them for at least 2-3 minutes before storing the peppers in canning jars.
Peppers are low-acid food items and therefore they cannot be canned in a water bath processing. They require high temperatures for the canning process, and therefore you need a pressure canner. Also, the boiling water bath is not safe to preserve the peppers.
The pressure canner method applies to canning plain peppers and hot peppers. Only that, while canning hot peppers you need to wear gloves and be a little more careful, otherwise, your hands will experience a burning sensation.
Best Peppers For Canning
Peppers are available in a lot of varieties, and they are most popularly distinguished as hot peppers and plain peppers or sweet peppers. The process for canning both types of peppers is the same, only that for hot peppers, you need to wear rubber gloves.
Well, you can preserve all the varieties of peppers by canning. However, if you are thinking about which are the best types, the best peppers for canning are the fresh and crunchy ones. They preserve well and keep for a longer time when processed sufficiently.
To name some, green, yellow, red, and orange bells, chilies, pepperoncini, jalapenos, and pimientos are great for canning. You can preserve peppers easily at home by canning. All you need to do is follow the steps accurately.
Preparing Peppers For Canning
To prepare the peppers for canning, first, you need to wash them thoroughly under running water to remove dirt or soil. Next, take a sharp knife and cut them into halves, and carefully remove the stem, core, and seeds. Chop the peppers into thin slices.
Now, if you want to can them raw, you can directly transfer the peppers into sterilized jars. Or, if you want to can them cooked, blanch the cut peppers in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and then transfer them into clean sterilized jars.
Also, if you wish, you can peel the skins off the peppers before filling them into canning jars. You need a preserving liquid to store the peppers, so fill the jars with hot boiling water. Remember not to fill the jars to the brim, leave an inch of headspace.
Once, you have filled the jars with peppers and the preserving liquid, clean the rims with a damp towel, and close the jar lid and bands securely. For storing the peppers, you can use both pint-size or quart jars.
Canning The Peppers In A Pressure Canner
Processing the peppers in a pressure canner is an important step and therefore needs to be fulfilled carefully. Prepare the pressure canner: fill it with water and bring it to a boil. Then use jar lifters to place the pepper jars into the canner. Next, close the lid of the pressure canner.
Let the peppers cook in steam for about 10 minutes, before you put the pressure regulator on the vent. The high temperatures inside the canner will create heat and seal the jars adequately for storage. You need to cook the peppers in the canner for about 30-40 minutes.
After that time, turn off the heat and let the jars stay in the hot water for some time. Again, use a jar lifter to remove the canning jars from the water and place them on a towel. You will have to keep the pepper jars undisturbed for about 10-12 hours.
Lastly, check the sealing of the pepper jars by pressing the middle of the lid. If it does not shift down, then the canning jars are sealed adequately and ready for storage. Pressure canning peppers is a safe way of food preservation.
How To Store Canned Peppers?
Once all the processing of the peppers has been fulfilled, check the seal of the jars. Make sure it is properly intact and that each lid is adequately tightened. You can confirm the sealing of the canning jars by pressing down the middle of the lid.
If the sealing shifts and presses down, it means that the jars are not adequately sealed for storage. In those cases, you can reprocess the pepper jars in the refrigerator to seal them tightly. Otherwise, if the lid does not shift in any way, they are perfect for storage.
Checking the sealing of the pepper jars is extremely important because an adequately tightened seal will determine its shelf life in the cabinet. An improper seal will lead to the rotting of the processed peppers and further wastage.
How Long Can You Store Canned Peppers?
Canned peppers can be stored for about 3-5 years when preserved properly with adequate measures. It is also mandatory to store the canned peppers in a cool and dry place: you can keep the jars of peppers in your kitchen cabinet, pantry, or cellar shelf.
Another important criterion for storing peppers for longer is to secure the lids tightly. Preserving peppers in a canning jar is a great way to ensure a long-time supply of peppers at your home. Canning also keeps the freshness and flavor intact.
To sum it up, you can easily store canned peppers at home by processing them in a pressure canner. Just keep in mind that you follow the steps appropriately. You can also store pickled peppers at home. Pickling is also a great way to preserve peppers. All these food storage methods will keep the flavor and freshness of the peppers intact for a long time.