by Unwirklich VinZant

Created on: October 20, 2010   Last Updated: October 22, 2010

Whether you just enjoy a bit of kick to your salsa or load peppers on every meal, the jalapeno pepper can make an attractive and practical plant to have around. However, those on the less fanatic spice side of the equation may find even one small container jalapeno pepper plant will produce too many peppers for one household. The average jalapeno plant will pop out 25-35 peppers a season, and that’s one single small plant. As a result those taking up jalapeno harvesting may benefit from the knowledge of how to store jalapenos.

Storing jalapenos for fresh use:

You can allow peppers to remain on the vine and use as needed for some time, however eventually they may begin to shrivel and even fall off on their own. In which case watch out for children and pets as vine ripened jalapenos will be stronger in flavor.
Another fresh use option is to cut the peppers from the plant once they are ripe and place them in a paper bag in the crisper of your refrigerator. In this form jalapenos will keep for around a week, maybe two. There is no need to cut or clean the peppers prior to storage.

Drying jalapenos:

Drying jalapenos can preserve them for pretty much eternity. Simply use a needle to string the peppers by their stems and hang in a dry location. You can leave them hanging or remove them once dry and store them in a dry container. Refrigeration is not necessary. You can also take dried jalapenos and grind them to use as an easy spice additive to meals.
Other gardeners use dehydrators to speed the drying process or slice and bake strips in the oven before storing. Always remember to either wear latex gloves or wash your hands very thoroughly after handling jalapenos. The chemical which also makes the pepper hot to the taste, can cause painful chemical burns to the skin.

Pickling or jarring jalapenos:

While it does in some cases limit the use of stored jalapenos they can be jarred or pickled. In either case the jalapenos are generally left whole or sliced and packed tightly into jars. Then boiling water and any other additives the recipe calls for are added and the jar is sealed. You’ll find a wealth of recipes for pickling and jarring jalapenos in cook books and online, due to the variety of methods for this storage technique it’s best to find a recipe that applies to your particular needs.

Freezing jalapenos:

Freezing preserves the pepper in full form which leaves it arguably the most versatile for future use. Some pepper harvesters claim freezing leaves the pepper squishy or soft when thawed. This may be a consideration depending on your planned usage for the peppers. Peppers will keep 10-12 months frozen.

To freeze jalapenos you can either simply place the whole pepper in a bag and pop it in the freezer or chop or slice and do the same.  If you wish to harvest the seeds from the peppers do so before freezing. Contrary to popular belief removing the seeds from a jalapeno will not make it less hot.

Citation:
How many peppers will one jalapeno plant make?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-jalapeno-pepper.ht m
How long will jalapenos keep in the fridge?
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17446
Freezing jalapenos:
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?p=1900

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