r/HotPeppers • u/Majestic_Trouble3206 • 3d ago
I grew too many...what do I do with them all?
Last year my hot peppers didn't do great here in zone 6 so I grew more this year. Well, they are very happy this year and I have FAR more than I know what to do with. And the plants are still loaded with more ripening.
I've made a couple batches of hot sauces, some mango habanero salsa and jerk sauce, but I need more ideas. I'm the only one in my house that can handle heat, so this is definitely overkill. I'd love some ideas of how to preserve at least some of these!
10
u/VolcanicValley 3d ago
Just slice and freeze in freezer zip loc bags. They last a year no problem. Also, cowboy candy in a mason jar uses more than you may think, and will last a long time in the refrigerator.
1
u/TheAngryCheeto 3d ago
What happens to them after a year?
6
4
u/CoolDumbCrab 3d ago
Nothing really. There may be some flavor lost, but it should be minimal in the freezer.
3
3
u/Batman23477 3d ago
Dehydrating them is one of the best ways to preserve them. Love making chili flakes with them. Even if you decide not to make flakes or powder with them, you can keep them whole after they are dehydrated and keep them in mason jars. They will be good for several years
2
u/JustinMcSlappy 3d ago
I've got three gallon bags full of habanero. I've been dehydrating them then blitzing in the blender to make chili flakes and making large batches of chili crisp in oil for friends.
2
u/Emily_Porn_6969 3d ago
Dehydrate grind to powder , put in cutee tiny bottles give away as christmas gifts. I would mix them all togeether .
2
u/Infinite_Toe7185 3d ago
Dehydrate as others have offered. You can string and hang-dry and it is rather beautiful. Put the needle and string through the pedicel and not the fruit itself.
2
u/1732PepperCo 3d ago edited 3d ago
If you do canning you can can the hot sauces for longer storage.
Pepper relish is an option which can also be canned.
Dehydrate and grind to powder and store till ready for use.
3
u/Affectionate_Lack709 3d ago
I’m turning mine into hot sauce. Ferment them in a mason jar with 3.5% salt water brine (at room temp). Toss in some carrots, onions, tomatoes, and whatever else you want to toss in there for a couple of weeks. Last year I threw in some pineapple. This year it’s peaches. Blend them up and then put them back in the mason jar for another couple weeks in the fridge. Now you’ve got all the hot sauce you’ll need for the rest of the year.
2
u/RibertarianVoter 9b | Year 3 3d ago
Pepper jelly is really easy and lasts a long time.
If you don't have time to process them all right now, you can toss some of them in the freezer and do it later.
I dehydrate mixed hot peppers in the oven, and then grind it for chili powder.
And, of course, experimenting with hot sauce is always fun.
3
u/SquachCrotch 2d ago
I put any peppers I don’t use including unripe ones at the end of the season in the freezer. Just added a couple red and green baby jalapeños and a couple cayennes from last summers harvest to a veggie and turkey blend I cooked in the air fryer.
2
1
u/PhartusMcBlumpkin1 3d ago
Use a foil pack or smoker tube and lightly smoke on a grill for a bit then dehydrate for storage. Delicious.
1
u/VolcanicValley 3d ago
I try to use them up within a year, but honestly , they are usually fine. Eventually though, they will begin to freezer burn.
1
u/Difficult-Bobcat-857 3d ago
Insist your friends take some. Dont be surprised if these friends start hiding and locking the door if they see you coming. A restaurant that serves spicy cuisine might take some of the pepper or maybe even buy some.
1
u/origanalsameasiwas 3d ago
You can sell them at a street market or a one time at a local flea market
1
u/6Foot2EyesOfBlue1973 3d ago
Dehydrator. Then make hot sauce in the middle of Winter when nothing is growing outside.
1
u/Wickedwenchhh 3d ago
Oh wow! This is amazing! You could dry them and make up containers of “hot pepper flakes” to sell or give away.. or dice everything up and freeze , tho I think it’d take you a decade to use them all Which I lived next door, I’d help you out! Our peppers here in zone 5b def aren’t doing this well!!
1
1
16
u/IshEatsYou 3d ago
Dehydrate to make your own chili flakes, spice blends, or powders. The chili flakes I’ve made this year have so much flavor compared to store bought stuff. Also I’ve seen people recommend freezing them (haven’t done that myself). Nice haul, congrats!