Pickled peppers

[sleven]

I would like to know if there are any dangers in what I have been doing.

I will buy a pound of jalapeno fresh from the market.
Slice them up and put them in a quart jar.
Pour boiling vinegar over them, then place the lid on the jar.

I don't try to keep these for any length of time other than the time it take to eat them (3 to 4 weeks).

Is this dangerous?

[mcnerd]

Perhaps not 'dangerous' but definitely running in the direction of 'not safe', especially after the 3rd or 4th week, if you aren't refrigerating the jar to keep the contents under 40°F so that bacteria growth is slowed down.

[Timothy]

I would suggest using proper canning procedures, including sterilizing the jars and lids prior to filling.

Using smaller jars would also be a good idea, because it would take less time for you to empty each jar and thus reduce the chance of bacterial growth in the opened jar.

The "Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving" is the best $10 you'll ever spend for gaining knowledge about canning and preserving food.

[justplainbill]

Check out the label on Mancuso brand roasted peppers. They are not too sour and relatively shelf stable but become mushy after being opened and stored in the fridge for more than one week.

[texherp]

The University of Georgia has a great website that gives the rundown on canning with lots of recipes including two for pickled peppers: National Center for Home Food Preservation-Vegetable Pickles

[Dawgluver]

We get the industrial size jar of Vlasic sliced jalapenos from Walmart. They're crisp, cheap, really hot, and last for a long time. Better than mushy Old El Paso, and easier than doing your own.

[jess11]

Originally Posted by Timothy

I would suggest using proper canning procedures, including sterilizing the jars and lids prior to filling.

Using smaller jars would also be a good idea, because it would take less time for you to empty each jar and thus reduce the chance of bacterial growth in the opened jar.

The "Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving" is the best $10 you'll ever spend for gaining knowledge about canning and preserving food.

I second this!! I use the Ball Blue Book and actually pickled my first batch of serranos last year. They were fantastic, oh my. I'm planting more this year...

A pint jar is a great size to use in our house since we only use a couple of peppers at a time.

But yes, your jars needs to be sterilized as do the lids. Once your peppers were packed in with the vinegar, you would process in a boiling water canner for the length of time specified in the book. They sell the canners at Wal-mart for $20, I think. Worth it for the safety of your food!! They're essentially a large pot with a wire rack in it to hold your jars.

Have fun!!

[sparrowgrass]

USDA says that doing pickles that way could result in listeria.

If you do just a few pint or half pint jars, you might not even need to invest in a canner--any pot that is deep enough to submerge the jars with an inch or two of water over the top is big enough.

You need a rack on the bottom, and if you don't have one, use extra rings tied together with twisties.