The NYC Greenmarkets are still looking a lot like summer with corn, tomatoes and hot peppers. Somehow there was not a pumpkin in site at the Greenmarket on 82nd between 1st and York this weekend. I took advantage and made four jars of my 3 ingredient tomato sauce ; I also grabbed some jalapeno and serrano peppers for pickling. You can pickle the smaller peppers whole just make sure that you poke holes in them so the air comes out and the brine can fill the cavity. I prefer to halve the smaller peppers and cut the larger peppers into rings. For me these are the perfect cheese plate accompaniment but are also perfect for chili, sauces and soup all winter long. The below recipe is adapted from Bon Appetite.
Pickled Hot Peppers
4 Cups of Hot Peppers
1.5 Cups of Water
1.5 Cups of Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Cloves of Sliced Garlic
2 Tablespoons Mustard Seeds
2 Tablespoons of Peppercorns
2 Tablespoons of Coriander Seeds
2 Tablespoons of Salt
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
A Few Juniper Berries
Combine everything and bring to a boil so that the salt and sugar dissolves. Then pore over the peppers and refrigerate. You will read that they last about 3 to 4 weeks but I find that they last longer, if you don’t eat them before then. As always, if you want to take the next step to preserve them log term, don’t be intimidated and follow these few rules: Guidelines for Pickling.
