[Henwoman]

I seem to have a good crop of red chilli peppers.  What do I do with them to store them?  Dry them, put them in oil, freeze them?  Help please.

[Dirt Diver]

Hi

I have had lots of Chilli's this year, I have frozen most and they have been very succesfull.

Also, it works well in oil, flavours it well but not so good if you have Chillis in bulk.
I did make Chilli Jam which is fab!!!!!!!!!!

Good Luck

[Henwoman]

Ooh!  Chilli jam sounds good.  Do you have the recipe you used please?

[Aunt Sally]

I'm drying most of mine - very successful.

[SUTTY1]

personally i freeze most of because its easy  

Got some in oil and vinegar too, oiland vinegar can then be used for cooking or in dressings

[prakash_mib]

I like this way
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=52335.msg622640#msg622640

[eli]

i too dry most of mine.
i've never tried to freeze them.
does that make them all crumble-able like if they're well-dried?

[catllar]

I always freeze mine too - Crumblable ? I  wouldn't say so but dead easy to chop. The ones I freeze tend to be the tiny bird's eye variety - vvvvvvhot - so I'll often chuck em in whole to limit the damage! They defrost literally  with the heat from my hand, so it's also easy to deseed them if needed. The trouble I find with the dried ones is that they go a gungy  dull colour - not nice. Frozen they stay bright. Just bung in a zippy bag and throw in freezer. Simples!

[Dirt Diver]

Ooh!  Chilli jam sounds good.  Do you have the recipe you used please?

 It's Val's
4/5 Large red Peppers, about 20 red chillies, 11/2 pints red wine vinegar, sugar preferably caster, 6/7 more red chillies - pectin stock.

Chop peppers, remove core. Put chillies through blender until finely chopped.
Put in pan with vinegar, bring to boil, then simmer for 20mins.
Put mixture throuth sieve, and disgard pulp, Measure puree for each pint allow 3 lb sugar and 1/2 pint pectin.
Put back in pan and re-heat to a simmer.Add sugar add other chilles finely chopped. Boil for 1 to 2 mins and add pectin stock. Allow to cool and then pot in hot sterilized jars.

My family love it.

[Elcie]

Mine are on a tray in the airing cupboard as we speak drying out!  I will put them in a tub in the kitchen once they are dried, and then when I need them, for example in a soup, I just cut it up with scissors straight into the saucepan.  No messing with knives and worrying about where the seeds end up!

[Henwoman]

Dirt Diver - where do you get pectin stock from please, or do you have to make it somehow? Recipe sounds really good - thanks.

[Val H]

http://www.allotment-garden.org/allotment_foods/jams-preserve/make-jam-jelly-ingredients.php
If you have a look at the link, it'll tell you how to make your own pectin stock and about commercial pectin.

[Dirt Diver]

Mine are on a tray in the airing cupboard as we speak drying out!  I will put them in a tub in the kitchen once they are dried, and then when I need them, for example in a soup, I just cut it up with scissors straight into the saucepan.  No messing with knives and worrying about where the seeds end up!

I used some apples that I had arround, mix of cookers and eating.

All worked really well.  Do try it