I'm not a huge fan of jalapeno peppers so the reason I grow them in my veggie patch is difficult to pin down. Jalapeno's are prolific...probably any one can grow them with success...and that is probably why I grow them! I love the act of harvesting (what a waste, otherwise). But, what to do with a grocery bag of jalapeno peppers...
Preserve them! That's right, I decided to try my hand at making jalapeno pickles. The term "pickle" simply refers to a vegetable that has been cured in a vinegar and salt brine. Cucumbers are not the only vegetable that take to pickling. In fact, okra, cauliflower, asparagus and many other veggies are successfully preserved in this way. And, it is really easy! Seriously!
After scouring cookbooks and the internet for recipe ideas I settled on a straight forward one I found on cooks.com. I cleaned and cored the jalapeno peppers (the seeds and ribs are where the heat comes from), got my brine boiling on the stove top, prepped my mason jars and lids (which are available at most grocery stores), and started cooking. In an hour I was finished!
It seems like I had so many peppers to start with, but I ended up with only 6 pint size jars of Jalapeno pickles!
Half the fun of growing vegetables, cooking, and now preserving is to share the gifts from my garden with others. My son is headed back to college this week. He's a creative and wonderful cook. I'm planning on sending some of my jalapeno pickles back to Maryland with him. I'll also share a few with my friends as hostess gifts. And, of course I'll use a few in my famous "Mexican Salad".
Note: The brine is cooling in the mason jars, as I sit here writing my blog, and the lids are popping as they seal! Pretty cool!
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