What to Do With a Garden Full of Hot Peppers

Pickling your peppers is a wise way to preserve them.

Pickling Peppers

Pickling your hot peppers is a wonderful way to preserve them, and they will still be edible for up to one year after canning them, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation. This is an excellent way to preserve the hot peppers and to share your garden produce with friends, relatives and neighbors long after the summer is over. Preparing your hot peppers for pickling is time-consuming and expensive if you do not own canning equipment or jars.

Freezing Peppers

To freeze the peppers you only need to wash, dry them and cut off the stem end before placing them in a freezer bag. Unlike a lot of other vegetables, you don't have to blanche them first.

Bottom Line

Preserving the pickled peppers is enjoyable and a uniquely delicious way to have the peppers available year-round, but freezing them is quick and you lose very little quality. Almost anyone can freeze hot peppers with little effort, and this is the most logical choice if you are not familiar with canning or don't have the time or the equipment. You must wear gloves during either process in order to prevent skin or eye irritations.

References

• Simply Canning: Pickled Peppers
• Pepper Joe's: Hot Peppers That Sizzle: Surviving the Winter as a Chilehead

Resources

• National Center for Home Food Preservation: Frequently Asked Canning Questions