Sweet Pickled Peppers A Recipe

Please find herewith the Recipe for Sweet Pickled Peppers

Last year for the first time I ventured into having a go at making some pickled sweet peppers. It has taken me a good 9 months to actually try them and now we have, we can see all sorts of uses for these on my Pantry shelf. Especially for my Hawaiian Chicken recipe which uses peaches or pineapple for a very easy sweet and sour meal which can be served with a side salad and some rice. It really is a lovely meal.

As per usual I digress.

Friday morning, I was looking to give G a substantial breakfast with what I had inhouse to work with, which wasn't very much, but enough.

I had mushrooms, courgettes, eggs, tomatoes and black pudding to hand. The colours looked a bit bland and then I remembered the peppers on the Pantry shelf. The other week I had included peppers in a breakfast I had cooked for G and he had been quite taken with it and I therefore decided to go for it.

Now these peppers have been looking me in the eye every time I ventured into the Pantry, but I was not really sure how I was going to use them that is until today. I must say that they were a revelation and were very nice. A bit sweeter than I had anticipated but it was only when I checked back on my recipe that I realised that I had added a little sugar in when I had made them. I am going to make these again, but not use quite so much sugar.

The ingredients are as follows:

You will need:

8 large Red and Yellow Bell Peppers (I used a mixed colour range of peppers using red, yellow, green, and orange) basically what I could get hold of.

1 Large onion - finely sliced.

6 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

6 jars that have been sterilised and kept warm

For the Brine:

2 litres of water

300ml of Distilled White Vinegar (also known as spirit vinegar)

150g Caster sugar

50g of salt

1-1/2 Tablespoons of Allspice Berries

1 Tablespoon of Black Peppercorns

4 Teaspoons of yellow Mustard Seeds

12 Bay Leaves (I used fresh from the garden)

Method:

Start off by washing and sterilising your jars.

1. Wash your peppers and remove the seeds and membrane. Cut into thick strips.

2. In a pan combine all ingredients for the Brine. Bring them to a boil and add in the finely sliced onion. Set aside to cool. 

3. Remove the onion from the brine. Arrange this in the bottom of the six pre-sterilised jars sharing it as equally as you can. Remove spices if so wished at this point (I left them in). I used a white onion but I think you could use red onion too. Then pack the peppers with the skin to the side of the jars making sure that they are packed fairly tightly. I chose to mix the peppers up a bit so that it makes the preserve look more attractive. Tuck in a couple of Bay Leaves to each jar behind the peppers so that they show to the outside of the jar as per the photos. Pour in the vinegar/brine solution filling the jars to 1/2 an inch of the top of the jar (headspace). Add to the top of each jar 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil I used Lug lids and so made sure that these were put on next and that they were on tight.

4. Process in a hot water bath after boil has been achieved for 15 minutes for quarts and 10 minutes for pints.

5. After processing allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then rest them on a towel on a table or a worktop (somewhere where they will not be disturbed until cold). Once cold test the lids to ensure seal has been achieved by holding a straight edge across the lid. If there is a dip in the middle, seal has been achieved. Wipe jars down and make sure they are dry. I then buff them up with a cloth afterwards. Label jars and then transplant to the Pantry. Use wherever you would use Peppers

Makes a very useful Pantry staple. 

Well chuffed with these very versatile and very tasty. Would be good on Pizza, served with a salad and goat's cheese.

I hope you find it a useful one to make for your own Pantry.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x