Canning peppers

[Brown Thumbs]

For years all I've done is put my jalapeño peppers into a clean jar, added boiling hot vinegar, then the lid and wait for it to "pop." I may store them for over a year before opening, then once opened I keep in refrigerator. I like to eat them whole with my meal occasionally.

Now, reading online it seems some say to use the water bath method and to add salt. Obviously I'm still here since I've used this method for a very long time, but I'm curious what is best and if it really matters. I tend to put up a jar or two at a time so I never worried with the whole bath set up like I would when canning beans, etc.

I typically use the small jars (next size down from a pint) that hold approximately 10 whole peppers. If I start adding salt, how much...1/2 tsp...for that size?

[Peter1142]

You are supposed to use the hot water bath. If there is bacteria or fungus that isn't killed by the sloppy pouring boiling water, and it is able to grow in the vinegar (unlikely but possible), it can allow the growth of botulism, as spoilage alters the ph.

The tested recipes can be found on NCHFP. Ser for example https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled ... ppers.html

I can roasted peppers without vinegar in a pressure canner.

[ElizabethB]

Hey Brown Thumbs - welcome to the forum.

There is a distinction between canning and pickling. Canning is for low acid products. Peppers, without added vinegar or citrus juice, is considered low acid. Low acid preserving requires a pressure canner. You are using vinegar so you are pickling. You can use a water bath when pickling.

You have been fortunate. From now on I suggest you use a water bath. You can get a water bath kit at Walmart. Not overly expensive. It includes a large pot, jar rack, magnet stick to remove lids and rings and a pair of jar tongs. Once you have the kit you may find yourself pickling cucumbers and green tomatoes.

You may want to investigate alternative recipes.

Try this: 1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 Tsp. pickling salt
1 TBSP. pickling spice
2 TBSP. minced onions
2 Tsp. minced garlic

This will make 3/4 cup liquid. Adjust as needed.

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Put peppers in a boiled/sanitized jar. Add enough pickling liquid to cover. Put cover and ring on the jar and put in water bath.

Pickling is really fun. You can experiment with lots of different flavors and heat intensities. You can also use your raw, hot peppers to season other pickled products - green tomatoes, cucumbers (pickles), okra, green beans - the list goes on.

Please get a water bath kit. It is well worth the low cost.

Happy Pickling

[Peter1142]

If you are going to spend the money I would recommend just getting a pressure canner. Then you have the flexibility to do water bath or pressure canning (depending on the model). I got a Presto that does water bath pints for IIRC $60.

[Brown Thumbs]

I have one (large) that I've used when canning green beans. I just never have used it with "pickling" peppers. I only do a small jar or maybe two at a time and use the method I described. Does the boiling hot vinegar and maybe a dash of picking salt not kill the harmful bacteria?

Also, I've never added water with the vinegar. What does that do?

[Lindsaylew82]

While the salt and vinegar are inhibitors, do your future self a favor and boiling water bath can them. It takes 10 or 15 minutes more than what you're already doing, and its ASSURANCE!

...only 10 or 15 minutes! It's all about the vacuum!

[sweetiepie]

If you use vinegar and water bath for 10 minutes, you do not necessarily need to use salt. Recipes are different but if you want to I would use 1/4 a tsp for a jelly jar. If only doing one or two jars at a time and don't want to drag out a canner, you can use a pot and lid and throw a washcloth or hand towel on the bottom of the pan, so the jar isn't sitting directly on the bottom.

[gumbo2176]

I have one (large) that I've used when canning green beans. I just never have used it with "pickling" peppers. I only do a small jar or maybe two at a time and use the method I described. Does the boiling hot vinegar and maybe a dash of picking salt not kill the harmful bacteria?

Also, I've never added water with the vinegar. What does that do?

My rule of thumb is just over half the jar of vinegar and the rest is plain water to top it off. I do add salt to my brine when boiling it as I like the taste it gives to the vegetables being pickled. I prefer to add water to cut down on the overall acidic taste of using just vinegar. If you read up on pickling, you'll likely find a lot of recipes call for a vinegar/water based brine.

[Brown Thumbs]

I took the advice given and this time I put up a jar using the following methods:

Picked and washed 10-12 jalapeno peppers
Washed jar and lid, put peppers in jar
Mixed vinegar, water, and 1/4 tsp pickling salt...brought to a boil
Poured hot mixture over peppers and placed lid on them
Put jar in a pot with water (almost to top of jar), boiled for approximately 10 minutes with lid on, then removed jar, let cool, and the top popped

I hope this is correct, but let me know if not. As stated previously, I usually do one jar at a time since I only have a few plants.

Next question - I tried one of the jars I put up a couple weeks ago where I didn't put the jar into boiling water or diluted the vinegar. They didn't taste good, kind of bitter tasting and slightly hard (crunchy). Is this because of the way I put them up or does it take them a certain amount of time to "pickle"? Other years I've let them set up for months or even years before eating, and they tasted really good.

[gumbo2176]

I've always made sure the water was over the top of the jars being put in the hot water bath by an inch or more. I don't bring my water to a boil but keep it around 185 degrees and heat them for 10 minutes for pints and 15 minutes for quarts. I find if you heat them in a boiling bath they can sometimes cause the product to become a bit mushy in the jars and not crisp.

I also have to put about half a cup of vinegar in my water bath due to the mineral content of my water. If I don't do that, a film forms on the outside of the jars. This doesn't hurt anything, just looks unattractive.

[gumbo2176]

The ones you put up a couple weeks ago, did you boil the brine before adding it to the jars? The bitterness you are tasting is likely due to just too much vinegar and not cutting it a bit with water. As for them being hard, I'd say that has something to do with not putting them through a water bath. I favor my pickled vegetables to be on the crisp side, that is why I don't put them through a boiling water bath per my previous post.

I'll do a medley of vegetables including carrots, cauliflower, onions, garlic, peppers and toss in several boiled eggs, brine them like I mentioned in an above post and put them through their water bath. They stay nice and crispy and the eggs take on a great flavor between all the vegetables and seasonings I use. They are a big hit with company when I throw on the feed bag for friends.

[Lindsaylew82]

If you used Cukes that were bitter, you'll have bitter pickles.

Our Cukes are worthless this year...terribly bitter, all of them. Made pickles. They're bitter too.