If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I’m an addict. I’m addicted to lots of things, not the least of which is hot pickled peppers.

It all started with my Dad. He was a New Mexican cowboy who, when he was 18, was transplanted from a ranch in New Mexico to a ranch in Nebraska. He loved hot foods, namely jalapeno peppers. When he married my Mom she couldn’t stand the smell of hot stuff much less to eat any of it. Fast forward forty years and you find a family who will eat a quart of pickled peppers when pinto beans and cornbread is on the menu.

Our favorites are jalapenos and Hungarian hots (similar to hot yellow banana peppers.) We grow a bunch of them. When I say a bunch, I mean enough where if one family member has a bad crop, we have them and their friends covered. We hate to see people go without peppers.

After we get them grown we pickle like Peter Piper on steroids. We are talking gallons and gallons, people. I’m not bragging, but we do have the worlds best pickled pepper recipe. We call it the “I promise I won’t tell…” recipe.

We got it from an aunt who schmoozed it off of a Mexican restaurant in Omaha (I think), promising not to tell. God bless her. So anyway, here it is, Rhodas. Hold on to your hats, it’s slap yer mama good.

I Promise I Won’t Tell Pickled Pepper Recipe

Pickling Brine

1/2 Gallon Water

1/2 Gallon White Vinegar

 1 Cup Sugar

 1 Cup Canning Salt

Spices for the jars…

Bay Leaves (3-6 per quart jar)

Garlic (4 large cloves per quart jar)

Celery Seeds (3 tsp per quart jar)

Wash and cut up peppers. I use a food processor, but most of my family does this by hand. Sterilize your jars like I showed you in this post. While your jars are getting happy, combine the ingredients for the pickling brine and bring to a boil on the stove, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. In a clean jar place 1 tsp of celery seeds, 1 clove of garlic and 2 bay leaves in the bottom. Then fill halfway with peppers, packing them tightly as you go. Then put 1 tsp of celery seeds, 1 clove of garlic and 2 bay leaves over the peppers. Finish out the jar with more tightly packed peppers and for the last time add 1 tsp of celery seeds, 1 clove of garlic and 2 bay leaves. Pour the hot pickling brine over the peppers and spices (leaving an inch or so of head space). Wipe off the top of the jar, place hot seal and ring and tighten. Remember: don’t touch them until they have cooled completely, to ensure a good seal. Don’t eat for 3-4 weeks while they sit in the happy juice, getting happy.

Tips: The peppers will float so don’t be alarmed. Use gloves while handling the peppers, or you will be miserable later. You can pickle veggies with the peppers for a spicy treat called Giardiniera. After all the peppers are gone, leaving just the juice, add hard boiled eggs for some homemade hot mamas. (Hot mamas like to sit and get happy a few weeks before you eat them too.)

Lord have mercy!

Simply,

Sis