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MazDee

Apr 20, 2010, 1:21 PM

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Need advice: Saving jalapeños

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I bought more than a dozen fresh jalapeños the other day, to make an appetizer, then discovered the dinner I'm making them for is a month away. I plan to make chiles rellenos en escabeche. Basically, you simmer the chiles briefly in water with some vinegar, oil, spices, onion etc, then cool and stuff. I probably will do either a tuna salad or marlin stuffing. Of course this batch of chiles won't wait that long! Do you think I could cook them in escabeche and freeze them (without the filling)? Have you ever frozen chiles or peppers, either raw or cooked? I guess if that won't work I could chop them up for chile jelly or relish. Thanks for advice.

esperanza

Apr 20, 2010, 4:36 PM

Post #2 of 6 (3447 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Need advice: Saving jalapeños

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Dee, if you're preparing jalapeños en escabeche, the escabeche pickles and hence preserves them. Go ahead and pickle them and save them in the refrigerator till you need to stuff them.

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Peter

Apr 20, 2010, 5:24 PM

Post #3 of 6 (3434 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Need advice: Saving jalapeños

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I had just bought some very large jalapeños and grabbed about eight of them and quickly stuffed them with cream cheese then dipped in an egg batter and fried them. I ate the lot of them throughout the day yesterday finishing the last one this morning. Moral of the story: Pickle them, make salsa or jelly, or use them up now. If you are worried about keeping them for a month you should be able to get fresh ones when you need them.

Anonimo

Apr 20, 2010, 5:44 PM

Post #4 of 6 (3431 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Need advice: Saving jalapeños

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Dee, I have used a recipe in which the chiles are first briefly blistered in a sárten with hot vegetable oil. Sometimes i throw in carrot slices and small onions (cebollitas). The vinegar-spice mixture is heated, then poured over the chiles and vegs packed in canning jars. Wipe the edges of the jar, seal the lids.
They will keep a long time in the fridge, unless you and your guests eat them first.

Picante levels will vary from mild to excruciating. I suspect that the method of blanching them in boiling water takes out some of the bite.

Saludos,
Anonimo

MazDee

Apr 20, 2010, 7:35 PM

Post #5 of 6 (3421 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Need advice: Saving jalapeños

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The way I planned to do them, the chiles are just slightly pickled and not far from raw. I don't think they will keep well in that state. But, I guess I will just go ahead and pickle those guys. I know they will be excellent! Thanks-

Anonimo

Apr 21, 2010, 2:54 AM

Post #6 of 6 (3403 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Need advice: Saving jalapeños

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I forgot to mention that after washing, but before further processing, cut a few small slits in the sides of the chiles. That will allow some of the vinegar and spices to penetrate better.

I wasn't able to find the recipe I'd used, but I do recall that besides salt, it had a few peppercorns, and perhaps an allspice berry or two in the pickling liquid.
How about a few coriander (clantro) seeds?

I was asking myself why I didn't make these fresh, crunchier pickled chiles again myself, instead of buying canned jalapeños en escabeche (La Morena Brand is especially good). I suppose the reason is that I tend to make too much, and the fridge already tends to be full of jars of various other pickles and condiments, which get obscured in the dim recesses. The latest pickling venture was over two quarts of spicy radish kimchi, which is, I hope, slowly curing on the side shelf in the fridge.

Saludos,
Anonimo