Pickled Jalapenos

This picture was taken back in June and the plant has grown like crazy since then!

I planted a little plant.  A little Jalapeno plant.  I watered this plant, I loved this plant…this plant grew and grew and then become a tree.  It supplied me with all the jalapenos a person could want…and then some!!!!  LOL!!!

I really didn’t think that this plant would survive the searing summer sun and temps but it has thrived.  Thrived to the point that it has a 2 inch trunk and peppers popping out all the time!  And these are hot.  Very hot peppers.  Last week I ended up with so many I wasn’t sure what to do with them  I just can’t keep up with simply eating them.  So I decided to pickle them.  A favorite topping of mine on nachos!

I am submitting this post to this months Grow Your Own (GYO) event because I really did grow this jalapeno tree!!!

Pickled Jalapenos (Recipe from The Purple Foodie)

Ingredients:

about 20 jalapenos, whole or sliced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic, lightly pounded
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Pack the jalapeños in a clean glass jar.
2. In a saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the jalapeños and let it rest for a few hours. Shake it up a little so that the peppercorns are evenly distributed.
4. For a crunchy bite, you can start nibbling on them within a few hours. As for softer texture, let this sit for 4-5 days.
5. Keep refrigerated for up to two months or can it according to jar manufacturer’s instructions.

***I added some onions to the jar and the top to help keep the jalapenos under the pickling brine!

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Homemade Hot Sauce

See those little seeds of fire??? He really, really liked it!

About a week before Christmas I saw this recipe on To Market, To Market with San Diego Foodstuff. I immediately decided that this was what I was going to make for T. for his Christmas gift. We had decided not to exchange presents this year but this didn't really count...

I searched all over town for the correct pepper's. I was suppose to have Chili Arbols but I could not find them anywhere so I decided that I would just make this with some dried habaneros that I was able to find. Now get this...on the day I was planning to make them I got a wonderful gift box in the mail from my friend Jerry over at Cooking...by the seat of my Pants. It was filled with all sorts of wonderful things and imagine my surprise to find a small bag filled with about 1.5 ounces of dried chili arbols!!!! Sorry Jerry, the salsa recipe sounded great but I NEEDED these!

The only change I did make to this was to add 1/2 ounce of dried habaneros. T. likes REALLY, REALLY hot stuff.

He tasted it Christmas morning and deemed it better than any of the 20 or so bottles that we have on hand. He said that the balance was perfect and he wouldn't change a thing! I have to take his word for as there was no way I was tasting it after almost being overcome by the fumes!!! LOL!!!

Consuelo’s Hot Sauce (taken from Caron's Blog at To Market, To Market...)

1 2oz.-pkg of chiles de arbol

3-5 cloves of garlic

2 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

¾ cup distilled white vinegar

Water (I would save the water that the chili's were rehydrated in next time)

1. Remove stems from chiles and place the chiles in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes or until the chiles are very soft.

2. Remove the chiles from saucepan and place in blender or food processor. Let them cool.

3. Add garlic, salt, pepper and about ¼ cup of water and puree.

4. Add vinegar and blend.

I will be making this again and if you like hot sauce at all this is a good recipe. I may try and make on that is a little less spicy for myself!!!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

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