Hot Peppers

[rm41400]

How have you been preserving your hot peepers? Dehydrated, cold smoked, fermented/pickled?

Looking for ideas.

I have a nice little pepper patch with habaneros , jalapeño , banana peppers, lemon peppers,

And some super hot peppers-
Carolina reaper, Scorpion, Seven pots etc…


I’ve seen a few sites that give some great ideas on fermenting/pickling or dehydration which I plan on trying. The reason for my post on BBQ brethren is to see if y’all had tried any cold smoked or preservation slanted towards BBQ.

Thanks!

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

Smoke em before you dry em...

I ferment a lot of peppers and sauces because I don't like sauces that taste like vinegar. Haven't bought (or made) pickled jalapenos for many years. Ferment.

I make fire roasted salsa where tomatoes and peppers get roasted before making the salsa. Again, I don't want to taste vinegar so I use lime juice to bring the pH down for water bath canning. The limes can also be roasted for additional flavor twist. Also onions and garlic. Take it as far as you want.

Roasting vegetables over an inverted vortex (wide side up) makes quick work of it.

 

[mchar69]

I smoke 'em and freeze 'em and put them in chili (with beans) for the winter.
You could make chilis in adobo sauce if you like that, but I've never done it.

 

[Markov]

I definitely agree with smoking them!

While I don't grow my own due to soil and sun conditions at my house (don't get me started) I buy local peppers in August; Chocolate habaneros being my favorite.

I've smoked and pureed for sauce immediately, or then dehydrated or froze for later use. So much hotter and tastier than chipotles.

 

[Lomey]

I freeze my habaneros. I also smoke them along with jalapenos and then dry them. I use them in chili, stews, beans and with pot roasts.

 

[edmonds]

I like to grow and use chile peppers.
I use fresh and dried chiles to make beef rubs and sauces (steak, bbq, Mexican).
In good years I dry/smoke/freeze my own, but if not then I buy dehydrated chiles.
Favorites include dehydrated poblano (ancho), jalapeño (chipotle), New Mexican red chiles, serranos, hot and sweet banana peppers, cayenne.
I make pickled peppers (jalapeño/banana) which are good in shredded beef/pork.
Cayenne and serranos are good for chile flakes for extra kick in most anything.
I smoke my own serranos and jalapeños (chipotle) for rubs and sauces, especially good for meats.
I also make pastes of serrano chiles with EVO and freeze in ice cube trays to use in Indian and Mexican food.
I make hot sauce usually with serranos, using either vinegar or fermented chiles. The fermented has a unique tang.
Perhaps my biggest failure in preserving chiles has been in salsas. Canned and frozen salsas just don't seem to do it for me.

Here are 4 types of hot sauce I made last year.

 

[rm41400]

Thank you for all the replies!

So I’ll definitely be smoking and then drying a variety of peppers for rubs/spices.

Any suggestions on smoked peppers for fermented or pickled hot sauces?
I was thinking about smoking about half a jar worth and then fermenting with half fresh. Then purée.
Or…
Ferment first then. Then Smoke all or some, then purée?

I understand that smoking first causes issues with fermentation after so curious what others have found works best

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

I have read about fermenting smoked peppers. Supposed to be OK but I've never tried.

Whenever I smoke and/or dry peppers I cut them in half and smoke or dry them with the cut side up. Some varieties will pool up with liquid from the peppers and I don't want that wasted. Dry em till crispy or else they won't grind well. I also don't remove the seeds until I grind the peppers. then I'll screen out as much of the seed as possible. Makes a more uniform and tasty product.

 

[edmonds]

Any suggestions on smoked peppers for fermented or pickled hot sauces?
I was thinking about smoking about half a jar worth and then fermenting with half fresh. Then purée.
Or… Ferment first then. Then Smoke all or some, then purée?

I understand that smoking first causes issues with fermentation after so curious what others have found works best

Whenever I smoke and/or dry peppers I cut them in half and smoke or dry them with the cut side up. Some varieties will pool up with liquid from the peppers and I don't want that wasted. Dry em till crispy or else they won't grind well. I also don't remove the seeds until I grind the peppers. then I'll screen out as much of the seed as possible. Makes a more uniform and tasty product.

I suggest fermenting fresh chiles by themselves. Then add a few smoked chiles (I like serranos) when processing. I typically use something like 4 smoked to 25 unsmoked chiles. Otherwise the smokiness will overpower the fermented tastes.

For hot sauce I simmer with any other ingredients (garlic, onion, etc), puree the mixture, maybe filter, then return to simmer and put in sterilized bottles, let cool, and store in fridge.

I split the chiles lengthwise and deseed about half of them before smoking and/or drying. If you're making powders then you want to dry them pretty good. But you really don't need them brittle for storage, especially if you plan on rehydrating.

 

[JAKs Q & brew]

I wouldn't risk trying to ferment smoked peppers. It could work, but you are introducing a lot.of new chemistry with the smoke. Mixing in some smoked peppers durring processing of the sauce wsauce.
I like to smoke or grill other things going into the sauce like onions, pineapple rather than the peppers as I find the sauce ends up with a crisper pepper flavor with smoke in the background vs really tasting smoky.
Also, I like to strain smoked hot sauce so it doesn't keep getting smoker in the bottle.