Everything You Need To Know About Bottling Chillies

On this page we are going to through the process of bottling chillies (i.e. preserving your chillies in jars). In the USA this call this canning chillies for no reason that we can determine. Either way, it's the same thing.





Fowlers Vacola Preserving Kit


The process discussed below basically centres around the Fowlers Vacola Preserving Kit that, through immersing the jars in boiling water, sterilises and creates a vaccuum seal.

These kits are readily available in Australia and New Zealand. For those of you in Africa and South America, both the Ball and the Fagor brands are readily available in department stores or from Amazon.com

The basic process involves processing the chillies as you require, i.e. if you want the seeds, pith and stem removed, then do so now. These processes chillies are then packed into the correct jars, the jars are then filled with liquid, the rubber seal applied, and the lid and metal clip fitted. When sufficient jars are done, they are placed in boiling water in the boiler for a period of time, 1-2 hours usually. This sterilises the jars and contents, and creates a vaccum inside the jar as it cools.

Chillies preserved in this manner will keep for at least a year in a cool, dark cupboard. Remember - light and heat are two primary enemies to the extended shelf-life of preserved foods.

All kits come with detailed instructions and you should follow these for process details.

One point we would like to make here is that if you have an older kit that does not discuss adding low pH fluids with your fruit, you must use predominantly acidic liquids (e.g. vinegar, lemon juice) to fill your jars to avoid the development of the botulism bacteria.