Canning jalapeños

I’m interested in canning jalapeños, but I don’t want to pickle them. I want to chop them and can them for later use in various dishes. Can I just add lemon to water and water-bath? Or will I need to pressure can them? My only alternative is to chop and freeze. Any ideas on this?

Michelle

No, you can’t add lemon juice to the water and water bath can the jalapeños. What I do is pickle the rings. Then if I don’t want the vinegar flavor when using the peppers in other recipes, I just rinse them well and they’re tasty as can be. If you really want to can them, you’ll need a pressure canner. To can them, I’d cut in halves, then pack into half pint or pint jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Then add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice to each pint and pour boiling water over them, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles. Process pints at 10 pounds pressure for 35 minutes (also 1/2-pints). If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude. — Jackie

Cherries for chickens

A friend and I have a discussion on whether cherries that are not pitted would be good for chickens. I think if they ate the pit they’d be fine. She thinks not. Would they eat the pit? Does anyone out there know?

Louise

I wouldn’t feed my chickens cherry pits as the uncooked pits contain cyanide and could harm them. — Jackie

Canning roasted chiles

Hatch Chiles are here. The store will roast them for us and I usually seal them in bags and freeze. I would like to can these rather than freeze them this year. How would you recommend canning these?

Jamie Vertrees
Las Vegas, Nevada
 
When we lived in New Mexico, I’d buy bags of Hatch chiles every fall and can ’em up. What a wonderful smell it is when chile roasters are going! Just take them home in the bag, then dip the peppers in cold water as you pack them into jars. Peel the peppers and remove stem and seeds. I used mostly half-pint and pints. Pack, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice to improve flavor if you wish. Pour boiling water over peppers, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim of jar clean; place hot, previously simmered lid on jar and screw down ring firmly tight. Process for 35 minutes (pints and half-pints) at 10 pounds pressure. If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude for safe processing. These canned chiles are great! — Jackie

7 COMMENTS

  1. Julia and Jackie

    Thank you!
    Now I know I can start a whole bunch of peppers and be able to can them up roasted. I appreciate the answers! :)

  2. WolfSong,

    Yes you can. I did 43 half pints when our hoop house gave us a tremendous yield. I did mine in water but I’ve also canned my roasted chiles with no water so either way works fine.

  3. WolfSong, It would not hurt to try some pints or half pints. I do not add water to my chiles, just pack them into the jar after peeling & deseeding.

  4. Can I roast regular red peppers and can them this way? I so don’t like pickled ones, but if I could pressure can them roasted and packed in water that would be wonderful!

  5. Lots of seeds contain arsenic, apples, for one. I don’t think chickens are going to digest seeds. It doesn’t kill us to eat an apple or cherry seed, but we don’t have a grinding craw. In my opinion, apple or cherry seeds in a small amount will not harm a chicken. Now, a five gallon bucket full, consumed by chicken, might.

  6. julia,

    You’re lucky; we’re in Minnesota now and we can’t ever get them!!! You’re right; the salt is just for flavor enhancing. They can up fine without it, especially if you’re on a low-sodium diet.

  7. Jamie, I have canned the Big Jim peppers & they can very well using lemon juice but no salt. You’re lucky you can get them easily there. Here, the vendor comes once in Sept & Oct.

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