I love growing jalapenos to use when making Pico de Gallo, Salsa, and Grilled Jalapeno Poppers in the summer time. I always end up with more than I can use during the summer and I want them to last throughout the winter. So I’ve come up with some ways to preserve more for winter use.
One thing I like to do before processing them for just about any use is grill them. Toss them in a little vegetable or canola oil and char them a bit on the grill. This gives them a nice smokiness that enhances the flavors in Salsa, Pico de Gallo, or Jalapeno Hot Sauce. I also grill them before I chop them up and freeze them so they are ready for immediate use when needed.
One key thing to remember when handling hot peppers, especially in large quantities, is to wear disposable gloves. The oils from the peppers seep into your skin and will stay there for some time. If you have any cuts, it will burn, and if you touch your eyes or any other sensitive areas, it won’t feel good!
Once charred on the grill, I cut off the stems and put them in the food processor to chop up. I could hand chop them, but that takes a lot of time and there is the risk of getting the pepper oils on me.
Remove the seeds and ribs before chopping them will result in a milder pepper.
When they are all chopped up, I then lay them out on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper to freeze.
Once frozen, I bag them up and label the bag to put in the freezer for use throughout the winter.
I use this in place of green chiles in a recipe if I want a spicier dish, or for making a quick salsa, or any other recipe that calls for jalapenos. I usually make Jalapeno Popper Bites in the winter and I already have jalapenos in my freezer.
I use some jalapenos to make a Jalapeno Hot Sauce which is good on anything you like hot sauce on.
Another favorite thing to do is to make Pickled Jalapenos. I don’t do much cannning so I only make a jar or 2 to keep in the refrigerator.
I would love to hear about your jalapenos!