My Easy Method for Canning Fresh, Hot, Pickled Peppers

Don't you just love hot peppers? I'm an avid gardener, and every year I plant 3 or 4 cayenne pepper plants so that I can eat them all year. I pick all the plants bare in late August and divide the peppers up into 2 piles. The green, red and yellow ones that are firm go into one pile for home canning, and the soft peppers go into the other pile, which I dry out, grind up and use as a spice. For this article, we will concentrate on the peppers used for canning.

EZ Method of Home Canning Peppers
You will need:
8-12 Pint size or 4-8 quart size canning jars,
4-12 rings and brand new lids
1 basket of fresh, firm hot peppers (Cayenne, Habanero, Thai or Chili work best)
1/2 gallon White vinegar
3 tablespoon Pickling spice (I like McCormick)
2 cups Water
3 heaping teaspoons pickling salt
Canning funnel (optional) or regular funnel

Sterilize the jars and rings by running them through the dishwasher (do this just before you start preparing the peppers). The peppers must be thoroughly washed and patted dry. Remove the stems by breaking them off. Set peppers aside, and in a large pan, pour 1/2 gallon white vinegar, 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons pickling spice and 3 teaspoons pickling salt. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally and lower heat to medium high making sure it remains boiling. Meanwhile, put lids in a small frying pan covered with water and bring that to a boil. At this point the jars should be finished and still hot. Remove them, being careful not to burn yourself by wrapping them in a clean dishtowel. Immediately fill the jars with the peppers, cramming in as many as you can. Insert the funnel and ladle vinegar mixture over the first jar to 1/2" from the top. Immediately cover with lid and screw top down tightly. Invert jar 5 minutes. Fill the next jar using the same method and so on until gone. During the process the vinegar mixture must remain boiling.

When the jars are turned right side up (after 5 minutes) they should seal. You'll know they are sealed when they "pop" and the lid gets sucked down. If, after several hours, you put your finger on the lid and it moves up and down that means it didn't properly seal. At that point you either need to refrigerate the jar(s) and eat within a few months or you need to put the jar(s) in a large pot, covering them with water and boiling at two-hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour to sterilize them. At that point they should seal themselves. The vinegar is acid and will kill any bacteria as long as the jars are properly sterilized and sealed. The canned peppers should be stored in a cool, dark place for the minimum of 7-14 days before opening. This allows the flavors to blend.

Once the jar is opened it needs to be refrigerated. If you open a jar and you notice any strange smells, colors or mold it means the peppers weren't canned properly and consuming the contents could cause botulism. Discard the entire jar. Most important: Do not use this recipe for pickling any other types of vegetables, and make sure you follow the recipe exactly as written. Following my EZ method of canning you will be enjoying hot, pickled peppers all year long. Bon Appetite.