Preserving the Harvest: Pepperoncini

   New to the garden this year..the pepperoncini; an Italian pepper with a mild and gentle flavor. Often pickled, they are served antipasto style on sandwiches and salads. They came to my garden by way of a victory garden seed set and have been amazingly prolific yielding gorgeous color and taste.

   Pickled Pepperoncini

for every 2 quarts pepperoncini peppers you will need:

2 cups vinegar

2 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

4 garlic cloves

**wash peppers; using a knife, pierce each one along it's side

 * in a saucepan, stir together water, vinegar and salt..bring to a gentle simmer

**place in quart jars adding 2 cloves of garlic to each jar

 * pour warmed pickling brine over the peppers

**be sure to remove all air bubbles before placing lids on jars

 * process in water bath canning fifteen minutes

Notes:

# garlic may be omitted

# other herbs may be added such as tarragon, rosemary or basil

# some recipes recommended peppercorns be added

# peppers may be left whole or sliced into rings

# half batch was tried..I let set on counter overnight before chilling the next day..haven't tried them yet, but they look yummy!

##these peppers also do well dehydrated

How do we eat them?

salads, sandwiches

added to soups/sautes

with eggs

chopped and mixed into fresh cheese for dipping/spreading

straight from the jar!

   Will we plant them again? Who's to say. I have really enjoyed their beauty and their bounty..so they are definitely on the list of possible returns!