Pepper Madness

If your husband tells you that Banana Peppers are sweet and therefore you should forgo gloves . . .

DON'T Listen. 

Six hours after peppers were pickled canned and put away my hands had been washed half a dozen times. It wasn't enough to prevent the red eyed weeping monster face once I forgot and rubbed my eyes. So ended my first Pickled Banana Pepper canning session. Two weeks from now I can start cracking them open and seeing how well it really went. For now I must content myself with a pretty picture.

I tried 4 different recipes for my peppers.

I had 2.75 lbs of peppers that I split between these 4 recipes. I came out with 6 pints and 3 1/2 pints worth.

Recipe 1: Plain Janes

Pickling Juice (Makes enough juice for about 6 pints)

6 cups cider vinegar

3 cups water

Bring to a boil.

Pack peppers into sterilized pint jars. Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt per pint over peppers. Fill jar with boiling pickling juice leaving about 3/4 inch headspace. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Recipe 2: Garlic Janes

Prepare the same as the Plain Janes but add 1 clove of sliced garlic to jar with salt. 

Recipe 3: Sugar and Spice

Pickling Juice (Makes enough juice for about 3 1/2 pints)

2 cups cider vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

Bring to a boil.

Using sterilized hot 1/2 pint jars fill with peppers. Add 1/4 tsp salt and cover with boiling pickling juice leaving about 1/2-3/4 inch headspace. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Recipe 4: Cara-me-away

Prepare the same as Sugar and Spice. However add 1/2 tsp of Caraway seeds when you add salt.

These recipes are adapted from the following recipes: 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/pickled-hot-peppers/Detail.aspx
http://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-pickled-banana-peppers-17254

Stay tuned for the taste test!

And Remember

Wear Gloves!