Fresh peppers are cheap in summer and the quality is also good at this time of year. If you love the colorful pods, you can fill the entire carrier bag with them. At home they are placed in jars and taken out piece by piece if required.

The pods should be as fresh as possible for pickling

Prepare pods properly

The flesh should still be firm and free of any damage. In the first step, the peppers are thoroughly cleaned of impurities under running water and the cores are cut out with a sharp knife. The further steps can be different and depend on the respective recipe. For example:

  • Cut peppers into pieces
  • Blanch the pods
  • skin the peppers
  • Roast and skin the peppers

Clean glasses for a long enjoyment

Only clean glasses guarantee a long service life. It is not enough to wash them thoroughly with washing-up liquid. The jars should be boiled for at least 15 minutes and the lids placed in hot water for five minutes.

You can buy jars with twist-off lids in stores or use jars that have already been used. However, jam jars often give off a sweet scent even after washing.

Oil or vinegar as a broth

Oil and vinegar are two good natural preservatives that can accompany the peppers in the jar without preserving them. Both the oil and the vinegar should not be skimped on. Good quality is noticeable in the taste of the pickled peppers. The following oils are good for pickling peppers:

  • Olive oil for Mediterranean creations
  • rapeseed oil
  • sunflower oil

The type of vinegar should be mild so that the acid does not come to the fore and mask the delicate paprika aromas.

Mediterranean style recipe

Sweet and sour pickled peppers are particularly popular as antipasti. With this recipe you can easily prepare the pods yourself. For two glasses you need the following ingredients:

  • 750g peppers, grilled and skinned
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • grated zest of half a lemon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 garlic cloves sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • approx. 300 ml olive oil
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme, alternatively 2 teaspoons of dry thyme

Intermediate step: Roast and skin the peppers

  1. Wash the peppers thoroughly, remove the core and quarter the flesh.
  2. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
  3. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pepper quarters, inside-side down, on top.
  4. Brush the pods with a little oil and put the baking sheet in the upper part of the oven.
  5. Switch on the grill function. Within about 10 to 15 minutes, the pepper skin will blister and turn dark.
  6. Take out the baking sheet and let the peppers cool covered with a kitchen towel.
  7. Remove the skin from the cooled peppers.

Further preparation steps

  1. Cut the skinned pepper quarters into narrower strips.
  2. Mix together lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, honey and crushed garlic.
  3. Add this marinade to the pepper strips and let everything soak in the fridge for 24 hours.
  4. The next day, place the pepper strips in a colander and drain, discarding the marinade.
  5. Heat the marinade and oil with thyme and bay leaves to around 80 degrees Celsius.
  6. Layer the pepper pieces with the garlic slices in clean glasses and pour the warm broth over them. All of the peppers should be covered.
  7. Seal the jars tightly and place in a cool, dry place.

Own variations

A recipe with oil or vinegar can be refined with herbs and spices. The mild taste of paprika goes well with some aromas, so there is a lot of leeway for your own recipe modifications. Here are a few possible ingredients:

  • rosemary, oregano, basil or parsley
  • hot chilies, fresh or dried
  • peppercorns
  • cloves or mustard seeds
  • lemon or orange peel

Peppers can also be pickled together with other vegetables such as zucchini or aubergines. Mushrooms and feta cheese are also good companions.

storage and shelf life

Ready jars with pickled peppers are stored in a cool and dark place. The space in the refrigerator is usually scarce and is needed for other foods. The cellar or a cool pantry is therefore ideal for many glasses. Even without preserving, they can be kept there for a few weeks.

An opened jar of pickled peppers should be stored in the refrigerator until the entire contents have been used. All pepper pieces should always be covered by the broth.

Conclusion for fast readers:

  • Suitable Pods: The flesh should be plump and free of any damaged areas
  • Preparation: Wash the pods thoroughly and remove the cores with a sharp knife
  • Preparation: Further steps depending on the recipe: blanching, chopping, roasting and skinning
  • Jars: Boil jars for 15 minutes; Place the lid in hot water for 5 minutes
  • Brew: Vinegar and oil are good preservatives; don't skimp on quality, that affects the taste
  • Oil: Olive oil is ideal for Mediterranean creations, otherwise sunflower oil and rapeseed oil are suitable
  • Vinegar: Use mild types of vinegar as these do not mask the fine taste of the pods
  • Mediterranean recipe: 750 g roasted and skinned pods; 300 ml olive oil; Juice of 2 lemons, zest of half a lemon
  • Other ingredients: 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp honey, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • Herbs: 2 bay leaves and a few sprigs of thyme, alternatively 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
  • Step 1: Roast the quartered pods in the oven and skin them after they have cooled
  • Step 2: Mix the marinade of salt, honey, crushed garlic, lemon juice and zest.
  • Step 3: Marinate the strips of pepper in the refrigerator for 24 hours; then strain and collect the marinade
  • Step 4: Layer peppers and garlic slices in jars; Heat the marinade with the remaining ingredients
  • Step 5: Pour hot stock over peppers; Seal jars and place in a cool, dark place
  • Possible variations: With other herbs, fresh or dried chilies, peppercorns, mustard seeds, etc.
  • Vegetables: Peppers can also be pickled together with aubergines, courgettes and other vegetables
  • Shelf life: Pickled peppers can be kept for several weeks. Opened glasses belong in the fridge

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden