Canning/preserving question

moments_of_sanity

Hi All, I make my own jams and have a canning pan but I have a glut of peppers and really don't want them to go to waste!

Has anyone preserved peppers without pickling them as I don't want them pickled? I have looked on utube and watched various videos on canning green beans and carrots but most people seem to pickle the peppers rather than canning in water.

Does anyone have any experience of canning foods and if so how?

Many thanks

joedenise

No experience of canning but they freeze OK. Just slice them and open freeze then put into freezer bags.

Or, you could roast them and preserve in oil or brine.

Denise

moments_of_sanity

joedenise wrote: »

No experience of canning but they freeze OK. Just slice them and open freeze then put into freezer bags.

Or, you could roast them and preserve in oil or brine.

Denise

Thanks, we have frozen them in the past but tend to go very mushy when used again. May have a look at roasting and keeping in brine.

Patchwork_Quilt

Let us know how you get on. However, I'm not sure about this method.

The best book on canning is the 'Complete guide to home canning and preserving' by the US Department of Agriculture. ISBN 10:0-486-40931-7. You will need a pressure cooker too.

Good luck!

joedenise

Have to admit I'm not sure how you would preserve in brine or oil but as you can buy that way I'm sure there is probably a method available to use at home.

I use mainly fresh peppers if I have some I'm not going to use I just slice and freeze them. I find they're fine to chuck in a curry, shepherds pie etc; obviously no good to eat raw.

Denise

moments_of_sanity

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

Let us know how you get on. However, I'm not sure about this method.

The best book on canning is the 'Complete guide to home canning and preserving' by the US Department of Agriculture. ISBN 10:0-486-40931-7. You will need a pressure cooker too.

Good luck!

I spent a good hour or so watching youtube clips yesterday to see how I would can/preserve the peppers and here are two pictures, one in progress and the completed jars

I canned them in plain boiled water as that seems to be what a lot of people do and put them in my jam maker (see link below) and they turned out really well. I now have 6 jars of peppers, sealed and storable for the next 12 months! :j

http://www.lidl-service.com/cps/rde/SID-2644B37B-DA26BD40/lsp/hs.xsl/product.html?id=19343956&rdeLocaleAttr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91707691@N04/11929469335/in/photostream/#

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91707691@N04/11929465145/

joedenise

They look good Moments. Might have to investigate further - although I haven't got a jam maker, perhaps a pressure cooker might work?

Denise

moments_of_sanity

joedenise wrote: »

They look good Moments. Might have to investigate further - although I haven't got a jam maker, perhaps a pressure cooker might work?

Denise

I watched a youtube clip yesterday where the guy was using a pressure cooker to sterilise and seal the jars so that will work. I do have a pressure cooker and was going to use that but decided to use my jam maker instead. DH bought me the jam maker from Lidl for £29.99 and it has been great but really only usable for sealing the jars as it doesn't 'make' the jam if you see what I mean??

Gigervamp

Would they really be safe in plain water? Most bottled stuff is brined or pickled as the salt/vinegar inhibits the growth of pathogens. Jams and bottled fruits use sugar to preserve.

moments_of_sanity

Gigervamp wrote: »

Would they really be safe in plain water? Most bottled stuff is brined or pickled as the salt/vinegar inhibits the growth of pathogens. Jams and bottled fruits use sugar to preserve.

You do need to sterilise the jars, lids and seals properly but according to this site, it is possible to preserve in water.......

http://www.pickyourown.org/canningpeppers.htm

Gigervamp

I've just spoken to a lady I know who bottles a lot of fruit and veg and she said that veg is not acidic enough to bottle in plain water unless it's been pressure canned.
She sent this link. USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.