What To Do When You’ve Picked a Peck of Peppers

Peppers are a summer time must have in my garden. They are usually one of the first plants to put out their spicy fruit, and they keep giving the more you pick them.

Peppers can easily be frozen for later use. If you want to go the extra mile, try grilling a few on low heat for about 20 minutes and make chipotles. These can also be frozen for later use, or can them!

These little peppers pack a punch in the nutritional aspect of things. One jalapeño has enough vitamin C to provide 18% of the daily amounts – that’s quite a bit for such a small pepper. Jalapeños also supply a good amount of vitamin A, which supports skin and eye health; one pepper offers 17 percent of the RDA for men and 22 percent for women.

The health benefits don’t stop just there. Studies has shown that jalapeños provide quite a bit of health benefits as well. It may also help the body dissolve fibrin, which blood clots need in order to form. Furthermore, cultures throughout the world that take full advantage of spicy peppers in their meals have significantly lower rates of heart attack and stroke than the rest. Some other benefits include migraine relief, relives congestion, provides cardiovascular benefits, antibacterial properties, fights inflammation, weight loss and the capsaicin (what makes the pepper hot) can help prevent cancer.

Here are 8 delicious recipes to use toward your bountiful pepper harvest.

Salsa

Makes 3 pints

• 10-12 fresh tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. jalapeño, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbls. pickling salt
• 1 tbls. cumin
• 1 tbls. chili powder
• pepper to taste

1. Sterilize jars, lids and rings, set aside.
2. In the meantime, remove tomato skins by cutting an X at base of tomatoes and adding to boiling water for 1-2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes when skins begin to peel. Allow to cool and skins should easily come off.
3. Chop all ingredients coarsely and add to a large sized bowl. Taste and add additional spices or ingredients to suit your taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add some ground cumin.
4. Ladle salsa into sterilized jars. Run a clean knife into jars to help trapped air escape. Wipe rim of jar with a wet towel and add lid and secure ring.
5. Add jars to canner filled with water and bring to a boil. Process for 20 minutes.

Texas Jalapeño Poppers

Makes 30

• 15 jalapeño, sliced in half, seeds and core removed
• 1 – 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1 1/2 c. Monterey jack or cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tbls. cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 3 slices of bacon, cooked, crumbled

1. Cut jalapeño peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds.
2. Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cumin, and chili powder; stir well.
3. Place one heaping teaspoon of cheese mixture on each pepper half. Sprinkle with bacon and chili powder; Place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake at 400°F or grill on the pit for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Holy Jalapeño Relish

This recipe comes from Daisy at The Organic Prepper is will blow your socks off!

canning version

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds of jalapeno peppers
• 2 cups of sugar (white sugar or turbinado)
• 4 cups of white vinegar
• ½ cup of cilantro leaves (optional)
• (Another option, if you want a condiment with less heat, is to replace up to half of the jalapenos with green bell peppers.)

1. In a food processor, finely chop the peppers. Don’t turn them into a pureed mush – make them the consistency of relish.
2. Meanwhile, in a large cooking pot, stir the sugar into the vinegar and bring to a boil.
3. Immediately reduce the heat and stir in your hot peppers.
4. Use your food processor to chop the cilantro leaves, if you are using them, then stir them into your relish. (Be sure to use the leaves only – the stems are bitter and unpleasant.)
5. Bring the relish back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until heated through.
6. Ladle the relish into sanitized pint jars allowing ½ inch of head space.
7. Process the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Be sure to adjust for altitude.

Pickled Jalapeño

Makes 3 pint jars

• 2 lb. jalapeño, sliced into rings
• 4 c. distilled white vinegar
• 4 c. filtered water
• 4 tbls. pickling salt
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tbls. whole black pepper corns

1. Sterilize jars, lids and rings, set aside.
2. In a non reactive pot, add vinegar, salt, garlic and pepper corns to water and bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
3. Add jalapeño to brine and bring it back to a boil.
4. Ladle hot brine and jalapeños into sterilized jars. Run a clean knife into jars to help trapped air escape. Wipe rim of jar with a wet towel and add lid and secure ring.
5. Add jars to canner filled with water and bring to a boil. Process for 10 minutes.

Chunky Peach Jalapeño Preserves

Makes 2 pints

• 2-3 lbs. peaches
• 2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 lemon, juice
• 2 tbls. jalapeño, minced
• 1 tbls. pectin

Hot Pepper Infused Oil

Makes 1 quart

• 1 quart good quality olive oil
• 3-4 jalapeño
• 1 garlic clove

1. Soak peppers and garlic in oil at room temperature for one week.
2. Strain, then pour into a bottle or jar. Drop 1 jalapeño peppers into bottle and store in a cool, dry spot.

Dried Pepper Seasoning

Makes 3-4 teaspoons

• 3 dozen fresh green jalapeño peppers (or your choice of spicy hot peppers)

1. Rinse and remove pepper stems.
2. On a cutting board, slice peppers into small rings.
3. Place on dehydrating tray at medium high setting for 4 hours or until completely dried.
4. When dried, grind in food processor. Warning: Watch out for spice dust getting in your eyes/nostrils or you’ll end up sneezing for a while.
5. Place in airtight container and store in a cool place.

 Jalapeño Cheese Ball

Makes 1 large cheese ball or 2 smaller cheese balls

• 2 blocks cream cheese, softened
• 2 c. cheddar cheese
• 1 tbls. sour cream
• 1 (1ounce) packet Ranch Dressing
• 5-6 bacon slices, crumbled
• 2-3 jalapeño, seeded, cored and chopped
• 1/4 c. finely chopped pecans
• Crackers

1. Mix the sour cream with ranch dressing mix in a bowl until smoothly combined
2. Add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapeño to the bowl, and mix together until thoroughly blended
3. Chill the mixture for 5 minutes, then shape into a ball
4. Place the pecans into a shallow bowl, and roll all sides of the cheese ball in the pecans to coat
5. Serve immediately with buttery crackers.