Pointers for Sweet and Hot Peppers

Harvest peppers when full size, firm and fully colored. Green sweet peppers will ripen to red if left on the plant. Other pepper colors are determined by pepper variety. Fresh peppers keep up to two weeks in a warmer part of the refrigerator in plastic bags. Freeze for longer storage.
To freeze hot or sweet peppers, wash, cut out stems and remove seeds. Cut as desired into strips, dice or leave whole. Do not blanch. Pack in freezer containers or bags. Seal, label with product name and date and freeze.

Note: for hot peppers, you may wish to wear latex gloves while cutting and removing seeds. Be very careful to avoid touching your face after handling hot peppers, especially lips and around the eyes, and wash hands thoroughly as these peppers will irritate sensitive skin.
Peppers may also be dried as well as canned. For instructions, see University of Missouri Extension publications GH1563 How to Dry Foods at Home and GH1454 Preserve Your Garden Delights: How to Can Fresh Vegetables, available from your local University of Missouri Extension office. Or, search for these and other food preservation publications on our web site at http:// extension.missouri.edu/explore/.

Peppers may also be pickled and are especially tasty in pickled mixtures and relishes. The recipe for “Tangy Tomatillo Relish” is another newly developed recipe from the National Home Food Preservation web site http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html.

Other August  2006 Articles:
Pick a Peck of Perfect Pickles
No-Sugar Added Sweet Cucumber Slices
Pointers for Sweet and Hot Peppers
Tangy Tomatillo Relish
Reduced-Sodium Sliced Dill Pickles