Preserving Sweet Peppers

[willows]

This year we are growing some extremely exciting mild habaneros in our garden (~800 SHU, NuMex Suave from the New Mexico Chile Institute) and if they turn out well, I'd like to preserve them without dramatically changing the flavor. I've done Fuschia Dunlop's Hunan salted chiles before, but they tend to really change the peppers they're used with. What can I do to preserve and bring out their aromatic qualities?

[Lisa Shock]

You could handle them like green chiles; flame the skins (on the stove or grill), place in a plastic bag to cool, remove skins and seeds and freeze (a vacuum sealer would be useful.) You'll add a bit of a charred flavor but be able to store them for quite a while, a couple of years with a good vacuum sealer.

[djyee100]

Try sun-drying or oven-drying the peppers. You could grind up some of them after they are dried for red pepper flakes or paprika. Rosetta Costantino's cookbook, My Calabria, has detailed instructions for drying peppers and making ground pepper or paprika. It sounds as if you are picky about the process, you will get better results. Rosetta grows her own Calabrian hot peppers.

I haven't done any drying myself, but I have tasted Rosetta's Calabrian ground hot pepper in a cooking class, and it's better than anything you can buy at the supermarket. The dried peppers retain their sweetness and spiciness, though not their fresh aroma.

[Paul Bacino]

Willows..

This is what I do with my extra RED Bell Peppers..

1) I like to freeze mine on a silicon mat first, whole or Alternatively . then freeze them in a vacuum bag. Alternatively, dice, cut in half, or de-seed and freeze whole. Red peppers are larger but when I de-seed and freeze whole I can stuff them before or later ( if you dont thaw completely ) .

2) I'm not sure why you couldn't pack them roasted or un-roasted whole in oil and can/jar them. I do my beans 20mins @ 10 psi ( not gospel w/o my book ).. I would do a bit of research to check if possible and how long. Then you will have a wonderful pepper oil to use also.

Paul

Good luck!! Im tell you one habanero bush yields enough, pepper for me, for yrs.