SEASONS’ PRESERVED HOT WAX PEPPERS

photo by Rick Scibelli, Jr.

INGREDIENTS

for Day 1:

5# RIPE FRESH HUNGARIAN HOT-

 WAX PEPPERS

¼ Cup of SEA SALT OR KOSHER SALT

for Day 5:

EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

TO COVER

2 HEADS GARLIC, CLOVES

THINLY SLICED

4 SPRIGS FRESH OREGANO

EQUIPMENT

LATEX GLOVES

COLANDER

SHARP PARING KNIFE &

CUTTING BOARD

MIXING BOWL

TWO BROAD SHALLOW FOOD

 CONTAINERS

(that will nest together)

SPOONS TO STIR

For Day 5: 

CLEAN STERILIZED PINT OR

QUART MASON JARS AND LIDS

METHOD

Please note that this recipe takes 5 days to complete, but only requires a minute or two of attention on days 2-4….

Wash your peppers with cold water.  Discard any bruised or shriveled peppers.  Wear your gloves! Cut off the stem end of each pepper and discard.  Core the peppers and save 3 or 4 of the seed pods if you like your peppers spicy.  Discard the rest of the seeds.  Thinly slice the peppers into rings about 1/8” thick.  Combine the peppers and the salt in the mixing bowl.  Massage the salt into the peppers to mix thoroughly.  Transfer to one of the food containers.  Set the second food container on top of the first and place 5# of weights on top (jars or cans of food, a water jug, etc).

Place in a cool room-temp spot where they can stay for 5 days.  The salt will begin to pull moisture out of the mix. Drain and discard the liquid every day, and replace the top pan and the weights.  Do this for 5 days.

By the 5th day, you will have lost almost half the original volume of peppers and the mix will smell strongly of hot peppers.  Drain well.  Stir in the garlic cloves and sprigs of fresh oregano.   Transfer the mix to your clean Mason jars and add the extra-virgin olive oil to cover.  Stir again to mix well, cover with the lids, label your jars, and refrigerate.  The peppers will keep for months in the refrigerator.  Use a spoon or fork, not your fingers, to serve them from the jar.  Keep the peppers submerged in the oil.The peppers are great as-is straight from the jar as part of a pickle plate, but they are even better gently sautéed in some of their own oil before using.  We put the peppers on eggs, Panini and sandwiches, pizzas, salumi & cheese plates, and chopped up into dips and spreads.

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ediblesouthwestcolorado.com