Pickled Peppers

Tap to Read ➤ Pickled peppers help in adding zest to a number of dishes. So, if you have loads of peppers, here is information on different ways of making this snack. Deepa Kartha

Pickling is a process where a food item is preserved by fermenting it with salt water and marinating it in vinegar. Pickles which can taste sour, salty, hot, or sweet are eaten just like a snack and also along with other dishes. People eat pickles as per their tastes and preferences.

While some people prefer to eat pickles with sandwiches and juices, there are others who like to have them with their salads. Though pickles can be made by using different types of vegetables, peppers are an all time favorite of most people.

This snack can be made with a variety of peppers including yellow wax, sweet banana, Hungarian, sweet bells, etc.

Preparation

Nowadays, most people opt for ready-made snacks that are easily available in the market. Though pickles available in the market taste good, there is nothing that can beat homemade preparations. If you think that making it at home is a difficult process, it is not so.

Rather, making it is actually an easy process. However, one must make sure to use fresh and blemish free peppers to make some good and delicious pickled peppers. Moreover, the equipment, especially the jars used for storing the pickles should be sterilized in boiling water.

Peppers and Vegetable Pickle

Ingredients Garlic cloves, 7 - 14 Carrots (cut into ½ inch pieces), 2 - 4 Peppers, 2 ½ pounds Cucumbers (cut into ½ inch pieces), 1 pound Cauliflower, ½ pound Pickling onions (peeled), 8 ounces Vinegar, 6 cups Water, 3 cups Pickling salt, 2 tablespoons Sugar (optional), 2 tablespoons

Procedure The first step would be to wash the vegetables well. Remove the center of the peppers, and slit them into thin stripes. Cut the carrots and cucumber into chunks and set aside in a different vessel. The cauliflower should be broken into flowerettes and should also be kept in a different vessel.

Once this is done, take hot, sterilized jars and place the chopped vegetables in them. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar together. Cook on a medium to high heat till the mixture begins to boil rapidly. Pour this hot mixture in the jars that contain the vegetables.

Remove the air bubbles and close the jar with pretreated lids. Place the jars in boiling water for a few minutes, and store in a cool place for at least 5 - 6 weeks to get the best flavor.

Sweet Peppers Pickle

Ingredients Yellow bell peppers, 1 pound Red bell peppers, 1 pound Onion (sliced), 8 ounces White vinegar or sherry vinegar, 4 ounces

Garlic cloves, thinly sliced, 4 lbs Water, 2 cups Honey, ¼ cups Black peppercorn, 1 teaspoon Procedure Remove the center of the bell peppers, and cut them into two vertically. Discard the seeds and the membranes of the bell peppers. Chop them into long strips, keeping a width of one inch, and set them aside.

Take water in a sauce pan and combine by adding vinegar, peppercorn and honey to it. Place the saucepan on a high heat and allow it to boil. When it reaches the boiling point, put in the bell peppers along with onions and again bring the mixture to the boiling point.

When it boils rapidly, close the saucepan with a lid, reduce the flame to low and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. When the bell peppers become tender, take the saucepan off the flame and let it cool for sometime. When the mixture has completely cooled, pour into sterilized air tight containers and store in the refrigerator till the time of serving.

Stuffed Peppers Pickle

Ingredients Yellow banana peppers (mild), 3 lbs Sauerkraut, 2 cans Turmeric, 8 dashes Sugar, 8 ounces White vinegar, 3 cups Oil, 4 tablespoons Pickling spices, 8 teaspoon Salt, 4 teaspoons Procedure Wash the peppers well and discard each one's top by cutting it off. Core out the peppers, and fill each one of it with sauerkraut.

Place these sauerkraut stuffed peppers in a sterilized jar, and keep them on a sink filled with hot water. In a skillet, heat a cup of water and when it begins to boil, pour the hot water in the jar containing peppers. Allow the water to stay in the jar for a few minutes and then discard the water.

Meanwhile, boil a mixture of vinegar and sugar in another saucepan and keep it ready. Add salt, turmeric, oil, and pickling spice into the jar, followed by the sugar and vinegar solution. Close the lid of the jar tightly, and allow it to stand for a week or so before using. Once opened, the pickle jar should be stored in a refrigerator.

These are some of the recipes that you can try at home. A bottle of pickled peppers will last you for a long time, if stored properly in the refrigerator. So, try to make one of them, and enjoy the chilled pickle with your favorite dish.