Best Way to Make Jalapeño Paste?

[Shel_B]

Earlier today I was gifted with a 10-lb bag of gorgeous jalapeño peppers.  I would like to make a paste from some of them.  Any suggestions?  There are numerous directions online, but it would be great to get some ideas here, too.  Thanks!

 

Oh, any suggestions for pickling them?

Edited June 2, 2015 by Shel_B (log)

[radtek]

Paste...?

 

Oh. Chile.

 

Great on breakfast tacos/burritos, eggs and more. Pretty much only served with breakfast.

 

I prefer to blend up the jalapenos with a bit of water and salt into a slurry. Then bring to a boil in a saucepan and simmer only for a few minutes. Cool once the color changes. Keeps in fridge for a week if it lasts that long.

 

That's it. No garlic or oil. Roasting the peppers first brings a nice element to the party. Shuck the skins but don't rinse the peeled peppers.

[Okanagancook]

Don't forget the plastic gloves

[fatmat]

Not done it yet, but how about fermenting them sauerkraut style?

[radtek]

Not done it yet, but how about fermenting them sauerkraut style?

 

The whole peppers? Or the paste? 

[FauxPas]

Pickling - are you planning to do canning for long-term storage? Or more like a refrigerator pickle? 

 

Here are some basic instructions for pickled peppers using a boiling water bath, which can then be stored at room temperature. You can leave the peppers whole (with a few slashes) or slice them. You can add other peppers or veggies or just do the peppers on their own. You can adjust the sugar and garlic a bit to better suit your taste. But I'm sure you know that any time you are storing at room temp, you have to make sure you have the right acidity and proper canning techniques. There are links in the recipe to instructions.  

 

But if you want something simpler that can be stored in your fridge w/o processing, here is one example from David Lebovitz. I like to add the carrots in because it makes the jars look prettier with the colour contrast. I also like the spicy pickled carrots on their own! He also adds onion, which of course is optional. You can modify the herbs or amount of sugar, of course. 

 

Some people char and peel peppers before canning because the skin can get a bit tough after pickling. I don't think that's necessary but others may prefer the peeled product. 

 

Let us know what you end up doing with your pepper bounty! 

[Shel_B]

Pickling - are you planning to do canning for long-term storage? Or more like a refrigerator pickle? 

 

Here are some basic instructions for pickled peppers using a boiling water bath, which can then be stored at room temperature. You can leave the peppers whole (with a few slashes) or slice them. You can add other peppers or veggies or just do the peppers on their own. You can adjust the sugar and garlic a bit to better suit your taste. But I'm sure you know that any time you are storing at room temp, you have to make sure you have the right acidity and proper canning techniques. There are links in the recipe to instructions.  

 

But if you want something simpler that can be stored in your fridge w/o processing, here is one example from David Lebovitz. I like to add the carrots in because it makes the jars look prettier with the colour contrast. I also like the spicy pickled carrots on their own! He also adds onion, which of course is optional. You can modify the herbs or amount of sugar, of course. 

 

Some people char and peel peppers before canning because the skin can get a bit tough after pickling. I don't think that's necessary but others may prefer the peeled product. 

 

Let us know what you end up doing with your pepper bounty! 

 

As far as pickling goes, I have no clear plans.  I mainly want to make a paste as a way to store the peppers.  It would be a shame to have the peppers go bad.  The pickling idea was an afterthought, after having seen how easy it could be to pickle onions and a couple of other vegetables.  I like pickled jalapenos on my sandwiches, so ... I guess I want pickled peppers to slice onto sandwiches, maybe add to salads or use as a condiment.

 

I'm on my way out for the weekend, so I'll check the links you posted later.  Thank you.

Edited June 5, 2015 by Shel_B (log)

[FauxPas]

If you've got room in your fridge, I'd suggest making a few jars of refrigerator pickles. If you want to can a lot of peppers, then proper canning might be the better solution. I tend to make small batches of things these days so all my stuff is stored in the fridge. 

 

Here is another choice - candied jalapenos.- which really ramps up the amount of sugar. That might make it unappealing to some people, but I think the sweet and hot combo might be quite tasty in small amounts. I've never made them, but I am saving the instructions so I can try it at some point. I don't think I would make more than a few jars. The recipe could easily be divided by three. 

 

Edited to add: If you just want to preserve them, you can also freeze them, of course. Blanched or not, cut up or not. Here are some instructions/options:

 

http://www.pickyourown.org/peppersfreezing.htm

 

And just to be complete, I should also say that you could do laco-fermented pickling:

 

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-lactofermented-mixed-pickles-recipes-from-the-kitchn-194011

Edited June 6, 2015 by FauxPas (log)

[radtek]

Hot pack will keep in the fridge (forever?) and if you slice the peppers thin you can pack a tremendous amount into a jar.

 

Have thought about this quite a bit actually. One could freeze uncooked paste in ice trays, that way it'll retain the bright color and flavor. Ten pounds is quite a bit so you options for variety as well as preservation.

[Ttogull]

I ferment/pickle peppers every year. I buy the really hot ones in the Fall and make my own hot sauce. My sauce is hotter than all but a few of the "natural" commercial ones (those that do not use capaicin extract), plus I can add garlic, tomatoes, and whatnot to my taste. I used several pounds of Carolina Reaper combined with Habaneros last August and I'm still eating the sauce every morning on my omelette. Doing this with jalapeños is exactly the same. I've done them in previous years.

If I want pickled slices, I slice the peppers. I also add carrots, onions, garlic, and anything else that sounds good. I then prepare a brine that is about 3% salt by weight (3 g of salt per 100 g of water). I use spring water, not tap because the latter might have antimicrobial compounds. I use the raw produce, so there is no need to use cultures or whey found in many recipes. If you cook the veggies, you'll kill the free bacteria that come with them. I have no advice if you do this. You can add Apple cider vinegar as you see fit.

I then combine and let them sit in a jar in a dark, coolish room for a while. This is art. Temperature and salinity and other things affect fermentation. Maybe a couple of weeks. Maybe a month. Eat them as things progress. When they are almost, but not quite, where you want them, put them in the fridge. They'll ferment a little more before they slow down considerably, and will be just right after a few days. If not, take them out and leave at room temperature a little longer.

If you want sauce, I used a food processor to blend all of the ingredients (I recently got a Vitamix and will use that this upcoming season). I add salt. I eyeball it, so I can't give a precise amount. I stuff that in a jar. I let that sit at room temperature for a month, six weeks, or two months. I just taste and stop when I like it. I call this "mash". The mash will often separate and do weird stuff, but it is good. Then I run the mash through a foodmill and bottle.

The pickles and sauce done this way will be probiotic. Not like yogurt, but like sauerkraut and kimchi. Very healthy.

When I first started this, I wanted exact times, measurements, and recipes. Over time, I've learned it's Art. Precision is impossible. I've thrown away a few batches, but most are successes. Trust your nose to know the difference.

Eta: you must refrigerate the end product for longetivity.

Edited June 6, 2015 by Ttogull (log)

[radtek]

Precision is not impossible.

 

When I ferment my hot-sauce it is initially 6% salt by pepper weight. One kilo of peppers will make more than a liter of finished product. Once fermented I add white vinegar 5% acidity and run it through the blender again. Total process takes about 60 days. But that's all the technique I'm giving out on my sauce.

 

And... I don't refrigerate my pepper-sauce. It keeps just like Tabasco does at room temp. 

[Ttogull]

Precision is not impossible.

When I ferment my hot-sauce it is initially 6% salt by pepper weight. One kilo of peppers will make more than a liter of finished product. Once fermented I add white vinegar 5% acidity and run it through the blender again. Total process takes about 60 days. But that's all the technique I'm giving out on my sauce.

And... I don't refrigerate my pepper-sauce. It keeps just like Tabasco does at room temp.

I don't think we are truly in disagreement. Your process takes "about 60 days." Tabasco takes up to 3 years, and the mash is mixed with vinegar when inspected and approved.

http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco-products/how-its-made/making-original-tabasco-sauce/

My point was merely that a host of factors matter in producing a good sauce, and precise directions might not produce the best result. Very much like saying that cooking a steak for 3 minutes on each side is unlikely to give a perfect steak.

ETA: but you are right that the sauce can be made shelf-stable by getting the acidity right. I do not do this. I just pop it in the fridge, and it lasts for, in my case, up to 9 months with no loss of quality.

Edited June 7, 2015 by Ttogull (log)

[FauxPas]

So Shel, what did you end up doing with all those peppers?

[Shel_B]

So Shel, what did you end up doing with all those peppers?

 

It was very simple: I made a paste by cleaning and seeding the peppers, diced 'em, added some oil, and whirled them in the food processor until they were acceptably smooth.  Didn't pickle them ... decided I'd enjoy and use the paste better than pickled peppers.

[FeChef]

As per TXCraig1 over at pizzamaking dot com. Best way to make a Jalapeno paste/sauce.

 

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=18462.msg179517#msg179517

[Shel_B]

As per TXCraig1 over at pizzamaking dot com. Best way to make a Jalapeno paste/sauce.

 

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=18462.msg179517#msg179517

 

Looks good.  I'll give it a try.  Nice to have another method and taste profile.

 

I made mine with uncooked peppers because I plan to add them to certain dishes where they'd be cooked down a bit, but I'll try this technique in one of those dishes to compare the results.  Tks!

[Okanagancook]

As per TXCraig1 over at pizzamaking dot com. Best way to make a Jalapeno paste/sauce.

 

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=18462.msg179517#msg179517

I just made this and I have to thank you for the link. It worked perfectly for my frozen jalapeños from last year's garden.

What do you use it for besides pizza?

Thank you.

Cheers

[thatchairlady]

Not much into HEAT but once had a messa jalapenos left over from pot of chili.  Think 2-3 lb bag, REALLY cheap, but proved to be really HOT... at least on my scale!?!  Knew they would just go bad before I got around to wanting a little heat.  Knew I could chop & freeze, but space is at a real premium.  I hauled out my cheap-o dehydrator.  I cut off stems and split length-wise.  I juat let dehydrator do its thing until peppers were "crispy".  Then ground in "coffee" grinder that I use for spices to get coarse jalapeno powder.  Nce substitute for black pepper or cayenne.

[FeChef]

I just made this and I have to thank you for the link. It worked perfectly for my frozen jalapeños from last year's garden.

What do you use it for besides pizza?

Thank you.

Cheers

Well, the site is a pizza making forum but that link was from the off topic section which is just a free for all for all foods. That jalapeno sauce is mainly used by the members as a topping for taco's/fajita's. I hear is also great on grilled steaks.