Look!
Peaking out from under the leaves!
It was our first jalapeño of the season...
Then we got three more the week after that and last weekend as if by magic, there were six more. So we're getting a little over half a dozen jalapeños per week now (from one plant!). Not enough to do a major project with but enough to figure out a way to use them before they go bad. So I decided that flash freezing some chopped up would give us some to use with cooking all year long.
First thing I did was get them washed and dried. I got the gloves out (always be careful when handling peppers!). They are the easy way to "clean up" when done and not risk spicy eyes!
First, I sliced them in half...
...and then used a spoon to scrape out the ribs and most of the seeds. We like to leave some seeds so they still have some heat.
I covered a small baking sheet with parchment paper...
...and then finished dicing up the jalapeños. Next, I put them on a single layer over the parchment lined baking sheet and popped them in the freezer.
This is what they look like after an hour.
These freeze (and likewise, thaw) very quickly.
These freeze (and likewise, thaw) very quickly.
Then I just put them in a freezer safe bowl and they are ready to be used...
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| Flash frozen chopped jalapeños in bulk |
...in omelets, scrambled eggs, cornbread, soup, stews, or just about anywhere you want to add a bit of heat. With them being flash frozen like this, you can just measure out what you need and keep the rest frozen. Or instead of measuring, just grab a handful and toss them in your recipe.
Stay spicy!
Stay spicy!
Same way I do bell peppers as well as my extra tomatoes. I vacuum seal in small packages or storing in small glass canning jars.
ReplyDeleteNext time maybe you can up some of them Candied Jalapenos.
Have a wonderful week and stay cool. Going to be in triple digits this week the way it sounds :{
I thought about vacuum sealing but we use them so much and we don't have a huge amount yet. We only have the one plant but based on this success, we'll have a bed devoted ONLY to peppers. LOVE THEM!
Deletei haven't gotten one jalapeno yet this year and it's been the hottest summer we've ever had. go figure!
ReplyDeleteDang, I always heard that heat helps them. Our okra plants are HUGE so I think we might have a bumper crop soon. I hear they like the heat.
DeleteSmart move with the jalapenos. They freeze well and it makes them so easy to use, I jsut hope you get plenty so you can make some of the candied japs.
ReplyDeleteYep, very successful and you know I suppose I could just buy some and make them, ha.
DeleteI make pepper jelly with cayenne. You could use your jalapeno and make a hotter jelly. I spread cream cheese on a cracker and put a tiny bit of the pepper jelly on top. For fun or a party, even for two, shape some cream cheese and pour the pepper jelly over the top.
ReplyDeleteYou can water bath can even if you don't have a wbc. I use a pot deep enough to cover the jars with water by an inch, put a towel in the bottom of the pan and follow directions for canning. Since I put these up in 4 oz jars, most any pot worked. These would make great gifts.
I made a jalapeno jelly once a few years ago ("pre-blog", ha) and I wanted to do more with our own jalapeños and since I know they grow well, I'll definitely be doing that. What a great idea....thanks!!!
DeleteDrying them is also good. And is sounds as if you have the sun and heat which are needed.
ReplyDeleteWe do! But we have humidity which makes them a bit more difficult....we'll see!!
DeleteYou are just going to love these this winter!!! We are drying, candy-ing, and pickling, but I am not sure we will have enough to freeze. Have really enjoyed this jalapeno dip this year, so we are using more fresh too.
ReplyDelete2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
6-8 diced jalapeno peppers
Mix all ingredients together and chill for an hour. Eat it on everything.
O.M.G. Thank you for this!!! This looks delish!!!
DeleteTo dry peppers, take dental floss and thread a needle with it. About half inch from the stem, stab the peppers, making a long string of peppers and hang it. I hung mine over the sink. They dried, got a little dusty. I ground them in my coffee bean grinder and put in an empty glass spice jar--ground pepper! The string of peppers is pretty and eventually useful. I don't use a coffee bean grinder with a burr. I have one that has a cup with a stainless steel blade--KitchenAid. It is a dedicated spice grinder. I have another for coffee.
ReplyDeleteYou can use sewing thread, but the idea of the clean and non-porous dental floss appealed to me. Make sure you pull off about two feet, even if you want a shorter string of peppers. Oh, it is humid here, too.
People use the pepper jelly over meats, I hear.
Thanks for the info on how to do that. What a great use. Thanks!! Ground pepper is yummy! And we DO have a separate coffee grinder we use for non coffee things
DeleteI'm so glad that your peppers are doing well and producing. After my 2 weeks in Europe, mine (and everything else in my garden) have turned up their toes :(
ReplyDeleteOh well, there's always the Fall garden to look forward to. Right now, I'm watering my 30 fruit trees, which I watered deeply before I left, so they are ok.
WELCOME BACK (separate email to you coming soon!). Hey you missed at least two weeks of our heat. Fall is coming!! Not soon enough though, ha. Glad your fruit trees made it. THIRTY? Dang...
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