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How do I preserve fresh chillis? |
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#1 |
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Guest
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,516
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How do I preserve fresh chillis?
I'm currently growing fresh chilli and want to know how to preserve them in a jar and what liquid to use. I tried this once before and used olive oil and filled the jar all the way to the top but months later when I came to open it up there was a layer of mould on the top and the oil had turned cloudy so I had to throw them away. Not sure what I did wrong or whether I used the wrong thing or should have added some kind of preservative. I don't wish to use vinegar as this will taint the flavour. Maybe I should use brine not sure. The jar was clean before hand but not really sure how to get it totally air tight but as I won't be using them all at once I want something that will keep them fresh long after opening without going mouldy.
Any ideas? |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,563
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I found this site, it shows how to preserve chillis in a few different ways Here is how they suggest pickling chillis which is what you seem to want: Quote:
Pickling Chillies
Pickling works well for most types of chilli, keeping them crisp and hot as well as looking great in their jars. Take 1lb chillies, remove any damaged fruit, make a couple of tiny slits into each chilli and wash thoroughly in salt water. Mix with 15 peppercorns, 5 bay leaves and 3 tblsp salt and pack into pre-sterilised wide-mouthed jars, to 1cm below the rim. Heat 1 litre white wine, rice or cider vinegar with 6 tablespoons caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is almost boiling. Pour into the jars with the chillies, cool a little and seal. Refrigerate and leave for at least 2 weeks. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: By the tangerine sea
Posts: 1,182
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You WILL need to use vinegar even though you seem to be against the idea. Try a garlic infused one,
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 1,359
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You can blanche them and then freeze them. Place in boiling water for a minute or two. Remove and place in cold water and drain. You can then freeze them in a bag or container and they will keep for months.
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Sunny Side Of The Street
Posts: 40,106
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Preserve them in oil,vinegar or vodka. Cloudy oil just needs a shake.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Leeds
Posts: 2,164
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I grew loads last year, I put them in the freezer. They have been fine and I just take out what I need. I didn't do anything with them, wasn't sure if I should.
I also hung some up in the window where the sun came in & dried them out then put those in the fridge, they lasted months. |
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#7 |
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Guest
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,516
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I basically wanted to preserve them like the jars of Discovery jalapenos that you can buy in the shops but not sure how they do it.
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Leeds
Posts: 2,164
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We have a bottle of Olive oil in the cupboard that has some chillies in it that my hubby put in about 2 or 3 years ago & its still fine although I only used it once & it was too hot for me. He was just messing around I think but they have stayed fine.
To be honest I keep wanting to throw it out but he won't let me. They weren't Jalapernos though so not sure if that makes a difference. If it went mouldy when you tried it maybe they might have had spores on them to start with, could you not try washing them with some diluted steriliser first & then rinsing. I only say this because we make homemade wine & we wash our fruit in steriliser first. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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Last time I had a batch I pickled them. Tsp of salt, tsp of sugar, a glug of vinegar and topped up with water. A few spices such as a garlic clove and some coriander seens.
They were indistinguible from discovery/old el paso/supermarket own pickled chillies. |
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#10 |
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Guest
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,516
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Quote:
Last time I had a batch I pickled them. Tsp of salt, tsp of sugar, a glug of vinegar and topped up with water. A few spices such as a garlic clove and some coriander seens.
They were indistinguible from discovery/old el paso/supermarket own pickled chillies. |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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It's to take the edge off the salt & vinegar. It's optional.
You're basically making a brine. You can boil it to help dissolve the salt & sugar and it will also soften the vinegar plus will slightly cook the chillis taming them down as well. |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 628
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Last year I dried my chillies in a food dehydrator. Halved, deseeded and dried. I just soak them in water before I used them.
Believe you can dry them whole, but the seeds are easier to remove before they are dried |
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#13 |
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Guest
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,516
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Quote:
It's to take the edge off the salt & vinegar. It's optional.
You're basically making a brine. You can boil it to help dissolve the salt & sugar and it will also soften the vinegar plus will slightly cook the chillis taming them down as well. |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 5,265
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I just sliced mine up and put them in the freezer. Then sprinkled in things as required. Seemed to work fine..
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 23,326
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My mother does them mexican style, just sews them onto a thread and leaves them to dry out in the conservatory. Makes the house look like a spaghetti western.
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#16 |
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Guest
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,516
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Well I bought one of those variety packs of chillis from Tescos and decided to grow some from that so i'm not altogether sure what chillis i'm growing but one variety is quite big, probably the size of a jalapeno. I took one red and one green and deseeded them and put them into a pot with compost and fed end watered daily. These have grown the quickest. I only planted them last september and they're already flowering which I believe is the stage before the chillis start to grow. I rekon by Summer they'll be ready for pickleing.
The others however were quite small but really hot little things, same shape as the others just smaller and hotter. I planted these at the same time. Again I took one red and one green, however they are only 5cm tall already whereas the others are like a full blown shrub practically taken over my kitchen window. Can't work it out why some would grow like mad in twelve months and others a lot slower. I always thought fruit and veg etc grew seasonaly like every year but my small chillis look like they might not be ready for at least another twelve months or more. |
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#17 |
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Guest
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,125
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I freeze mine whole, and use frozen for general cooking. They're much easier to chop whilst frozen too.
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