Everything You Want To Know About Pickling Chillies

There are no real limitations to this technique. It is suitable for any size chillies and works with both thin and thick fleshed varieties.

Your chillies should remain crisp until the following year's harvest, a feature you do not get from dehydrating them. Freezing also tends to soften the chillies due to bursting of the plant cells as they freeze.

Ornate bottles and jars are not recommended for the pickling process The pickling bottles should be the wide-mouthed jars. For gifts or display, the chillies can be transferred to the more unusual jars and bottles and should then be refrigerated.

Ornate jars and bottles can be located at many of the discount stores and craft stores that cities around the world all seem to have. Another option is supermarket specials where they are heavily reducing stock to get rid of it. There may be something else in the jar but you can either use that yourself or just throw it out – the end result is that the gift cost you $2.50 plus some chillies and your time.

Take note here also that you will get some colour change in your chillies once they are pickled in the jar - particularly green ones. This is will take place over time as chlorophyll is soluble in vinegar.

OK, here we go !

Pickling Your Chillies

As with the other preserving techniques, make sure you wash your chillies and eliminate any bruised or seriously blemished fruit. They will only go mushy in the pickle and you won't want to use them. Also, if you are pickling for presentation, blemished chillies will really spoil the effect.

Stuff You Need To Remember

• Sterilise your jars in boiling water or an over set 110 C for approximately 10 minutes. Take care handling hot glass as it retains it's heat for quite a while.
• Put a small hole or slit in each of your chillies. This will allow the vinegar to get in and complete the pickling process. It also prevents the chillies from floating.
• Make sure you use pickling salt not table salt - they're not the same thing! If you can't find it, you're not looking hard enough - even many supermarkets carry it. Cooking shops, spice shops, continental stores....
• If you are pickling for presentation purposes, use white vinegar as it does not affect the colour excessively. If you are pickling for yourself, i.e. maximum flavour, and not worried about colour, use cider or malt vinegar as they have a better flavour.
• Don't use caps/lids that will result in metal being exposed to the vinegar. The two will react and can cause toxins to be produced
• Air is a major spoiler of food. When pouring in the brine, leave little or no roomat the top of the jar. Caps should fit well to prevent air entering the jar.
• Once you've poured the pickling brine over the chillies, little bubbles that get stuck can usually be removed by tapping the side of the jar with the back edge of a knife.
• If the bubbles will not move, you can stick a knife blade into the mixture between the fruit and the glass to get rid of them.

A Couple Of Recipes To Get You Started

Don't limit yourself to these two - use your imagination. Try adding other spices to the brine, layer the chillies by colour, put some vegetables in as well, .....

Basic Pickled Chillies

This recipe is for approximately 900g of chillies. We soak the chillies overnight in the brine first as it keeps the chillies crisper when pickled.

Brine

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup pickling salt

Combine the salt and water. You don't want holes/slits in your chillies yet. Cover the chillies with the brine in a bowl and put a plate or something similar over them to keep the chillies submerged. Soak the overnight then drain, rinse well, and dry.

Pickling Solution

• 3 cups white vinegar
• 3 cups water
• 3 teaspns pickling salt

Poke two or three small holes in top of each chilli and pack them tightly in sterilized jars leaving 1cm at the top of the jar.

In a saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, and salt. Bring the solution to a boil and then pour over the chillies, leaving no space at the top. Remove trapped air bubbles.

Store for 4 to 6 weeks in a cool, dark place before serving.

Pickled Vege Garden

In this one we leave the amounts up to you.

• Chillies, try and get some different colours in here
• Cauliflower and or broccoli, in florets
• Zucchini, unpeeled, thinly sliced
• Carrots, cut into rounds or use baby carrots
• Small, pickling onions, peeled and left whole
• Garlic cloves, whole
• Celery, cut into 3cm lengths
• 1 part water
• 1 part vinegar
• 2 teaspoon pickling salt per litre of liquid

Arrange your choice of vegetables and chillies in sterilized jars.

Boil the water, vinegar and salt to a boil for about a minute. Pour over the vegetables, leaving no room at the top, and cover.

Allow the mixture to pickle for at least 3 weeks in a cool, dark place before serving.