# ISO TNT Jalapeno Pepper Recipes or Methods



## keltin (Aug 19, 2007)

We saw the local produce guy today. Not much to pick from today. He’s older and says it’s just too hot to get out there and dig up the potatoes, etc. He’s a great guy, and had 5-6 pounds of jalapeno peppers. We wanted some bell peppers, but he says they aren’t doing well, and then he tried to give me all of the jalapenos! He said they weren’t selling too well, and he’s made all the sauce he cares to make for now. He supposes the heat outdoors has people not wanting heat in their mouths. 

Anyway, we ended up taking one of his two bags of peppers, about 3 pounds of red and green jalapeños. We just didn’t feel right taking all of those for free, and he wouldn’t accept money from them (we’re regulars and he knows us). So now, I have 3 pounds of jalapenos and need ideas on what to do.

I’m thinking just a simple cut, wash, and stuff into a jar and top with hot vinegar and salt (which I just did last night with some serranos)? I thought about drying them in my dehydrator, but really don’t know what to do with dried jalapenos. Thought about smoking some for a chipotle sauce. Maybe make salsa?

Anyone have any TNT ideas on what to do with this boon of jalapenos????

Thanks!


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## Katie H (Aug 19, 2007)

Oh, keltin, you might want to start a fire with the peppers.

Not really, but I'm not the biggest fan of "hot" stuff, I really can't suggest what to do with your bounty.  Although, I think Uncle Bob made a reference to pickling hot peppers recently.  You might want to PM him or do a search and see what you can come up with.  Good luck with a solution.


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## Dave Hutchins (Aug 19, 2007)

*Jalapenos*

Every fall I buy all the peppers at my veggie stand has red green and I take them and cut the stem off and run them through the food processor then bring up to a boil in distilled vinegar with severl cans of tomato paste and and 2 large cans of tomato sauce and a little sugar and 1# of shredded carrots and salt (Kosher) to taste then strain and bottle .. Then I have tnt hot sauce for a year.  Have a go at it mate. I use quart clear jugs with a screw on cap


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## keltin (Aug 19, 2007)

Katie E said:


> Oh, keltin, you might want to start a fire with the peppers.
> 
> Not really, but I'm not the biggest fan of "hot" stuff, I really can't suggest what to do with your bounty. Although, I think Uncle Bob made a reference to pickling hot peppers recently. You might want to PM him or do a search and see what you can come up with. Good luck with a solution.


 
He actually posted an idea on hot sauce the other day that I spent about an hour looking for and finally found last night. He suggested for hot sauce (basically hot vinegar for taste or for a base), just cut the peppers and pack loosely in a jar. Add some salt (or not) and pour hot vinegar over them and cover. EASY!

So I did that last night with some extra serranos I had. Now, boom, I get all of these Jalapenos and I’m out of jars to boot.  I’m going to get more jars tomorrow and figure something out. Perhaps Uncle Bob has got more tricks up his sleeve! 

Any thoughts on using Cider Vinegar in this. I tried that once long ago, and I thought it was a bit too sweet, so I’m thinking I should stick with white vinegar.


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## keltin (Aug 19, 2007)

Dave Hutchins said:


> Every fall I buy all the peppers at my veggie stand has red green and I take them and cut the stem off and run them through the food processor then bring up to a boil in distilled vinegar with severl cans of tomato paste and and 2 large cans of tomato sauce and a little sugar and 1# of shredded carrots and salt (Kosher) to taste then strain and bottle .. Then I have tnt hot sauce for a year. Have a go at it mate. I use quart clear jugs with a screw on cap


 
So, puree the peppers, add tomatoes sauce and paste, some sugar, vinegar and carrot and boil all of that for a bit then strain? That sounds easy enough. I may give that a go! Ever use canned tomatoes and puree them?


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## Katie H (Aug 19, 2007)

OOh.  Out of jars.  Well, that's pretty easy to remedy.  As for the vinegar, yes, white distilled vinegar might be the way to go.

This is totally off the subject, but I make a lot of chicken stock.  I usually freeze it and, when I do so, I use clean and washed pickle relish and sweet pickle jars.  But...that's just me.  I have room in my freezer to do that.

This wouldn't work for your purposes because (I don't know about this.) you might have to "can" the sauce and the used jars and lids would be unsuitable. 

Sorry about the tangent.  Oops!


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## keltin (Aug 19, 2007)

Well, I’m REALLY out of jars. I don’t keep many mason jars around since I don’t "can" often, and the few that I have are already spoken for. So, for my serranos last night, I used an old jar of salsa (nearly empty in the fridge). Boiled it, cleaned it, washed it in hot water, and dried it. Recycled!

I then added the peppers and vinegar. Uncle Bob said they’d be ready in 1-2 weeks, so I may transfer them to a different container then and refrigerate. Right now, they are in the closet. Not the best or safest approach, but I think I'll be ok????

I started to reclaim a Sauer kraut jar that is about 1/4 full. It’s huge, and there is still plenty of kraut in there and I’ve got some red hots to eat, so I didn’t’ bother it. I’ll have to get some more jars!

If I keep doing this, I’m going to have to invest in a bigger food processor. I’ve got a small mini-chopper, but I think it may be time to get a full blown processor. Perhaps I’ll do that tomorrow. I’ll just have to challenge myself and come up with more ways to use it after I buy it! So far I’ve been getting by with the mini-chopper and my knives……time to step up!


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## keltin (Aug 24, 2007)

Ok, I got the jars and finally sat down to make this sauce. It turned out to be more of a mash/thick sauce/runny salsa.

Lots of Jalapenos
3 cloves garlic
½ cup chopped onions
Can of tomatoes with chilies (14.5 oz) 
Water
Vinegar
Sugar

I cut the ends off the jalapenos and sliced them into medallions. Threw the peppers into a pan with EVOO, onion and minced garlic for 10 minutes. Added the can of tomatoes and juice plus 1 can of water and two “dashes of sugar”. Let that simmer for 20 minutes. Let it cool, then processed the entire batch in a food processor. I divided that pureed blend into four canning jars about half full. I then topped each jar with hot white vinegar. Put the lids on and then put them in the fridge. 

As I was doing this, I ate one slice (only one little medallion!) of the green jalapenos (I had red and green) raw and WOW it nearly blew the top of my head off. I’ve never had a jalapeno that hot. Holy Hot Stuff Batman!

So, I’ve got four jars of this stuff. It’s chunky. The recipe I sort of followed said this will last 6 months in the fridge. For you canning experts, what do you think? Can I leave it like this and use it as marinades (chunky style) and sauce (just the vinegar strained) for a while, or should I strain it all in a week and collect only the vinegar and discard the “mash”?

Also, what is the deal with purple garlic? I was out of garlic and went to a local convenience store (gas station that sells odds and ends) that also has a deli. I’m friends with the owner, and while they don’t sell garlic, she did give me a half bulb from her personal inventory that they use in cooking. It was a huge bulb and tinted in purple. I’ve not seen purple tinted garlic tinted before - tinted on the outside skin of each clove, but the flesh was regular colored, really nice, smooth, and not sticky at all when I chopped it.


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## QSis (Aug 24, 2007)

Try this post and/or this thread 

Lee

Hmmm, that doesn't look like a good link to a post. Admins, if I did something wrong, could you please make it better? Thanks!

(Edit:All fixed. Alix)


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## keltin (Aug 24, 2007)

Anyone else see those Travelocity commercials about the traveling Gnome. He tries to debunk a myth about US appliances (120 volts) working on European power (220 volts) and gets shocked and blown up. As the camera fades, he asks amidst the smoke surrounding him…..Am I going to die???


Sooooooooooooooooooooo…….I got these jars of peppers with tomatoes, garlic and onion in hot vinegar in the fridge.


Am I going to die??? 


I’m going to keep an eye on them, check color, smell them etc. I’ll post back if something goes wrong! So far, good flavor and rather hot.


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## Dave Hutchins (Aug 24, 2007)

Keltin Every fall I make approx. 5 gal of hot sauce much the same way you made yours and I keep it in clear 1 quart bottles in the back of the frig with no problems at all if you have enough salt and vinegar it will keep forever and yours sound good to go.If it is too runny you might want to add tomatoe paste to your mix thats what I do to get the consistancy I want, bring it back to a simmer then let cool and bottle have fun and enjoy
I like jalapenos right out of the patch with a touch of kosher salt some are hotter than outhers.. Look for a rounded tip not a pointy tip they are a tad bit milder.


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## Alix (Aug 24, 2007)

If they're in the fridge you should be OK. For a while anyway. I think you are either going to burn a hole in your gullet trying to use all that or you are going to be giving away a LOOOOOT of gifts in the near future.


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## keltin (Aug 24, 2007)

Thanks Dave and Alix! I feel a lot better about letting this stuff sit a bit. Trying to eat all of that in 3 weeks would really hurt!!!! Thanks again!


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## keltin (Aug 24, 2007)

I actually was signing off for the night, and as the movie was rolling the opening credits, it hit me about this question (don’t even ask why a movie’s opening and this thread are related…..I have no idea). But, I forgot to bring this up.

Anyway, I have four indoor cats (God Bless DW!!!! ), and as I was cooking this massive mound of jalapeños the other night. The air was redolent with peppers. The air was thick with it, and the cats were all around me (Mom was at work, so it was just us….she works nights part-time). Shortly after I finished and put the peppers off to cool, the cats went NUTS! They were doing strange jumps, dives, and bombings (high jumps that end in a “splash” of kitty on something, more than likely his/her sibling). They were stampeding, and just going nuts.

Did they get a pepper buzz form this massive cooking? Anyone else notice this or have it happen? My cats are weird….but still, I’ve not seen such a unified (all four of them) act of weirdness. After 20 – 30 minutes, they cooled off and all of them took a nap. Weird!


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