Someone else posted this site with various recipes for hot peppers for me earlier in the season. Under pickled peppers, the recipe notes that a variety of different peppers can be used. I pickled and canned an overabundance of habaneros from my favorite farmer using that recipe.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09314.html

Angie

Oil can provide a barrier against air getting in ( and with that bacteria). Lard and oil have been used in the past as a sealant in the absence of vacuum packing.

In the JoP recipe, the oil is used as a "seasoning" so that the peppers will be coated as you take them out of the jar. It can easily be omitted (I don't use it) and any oil to your taste added when you open the jar. EVOO is probably better-tasting than canola and the others.

Now NCHFP has a recipe for Marinated Peppers that calls for mixing the oil into the brine, but cautions that it must be "well-mixed" before putting into the jars. You don't want all the oil to end up in just a few jars. I'd stir it before you fill each jar. Not only can oil seal OUT bacteria as seysonn said, but if there is anything in the food already, it can seal it IN - the main concern being coating the peppers so that the acid doesn't penetrate, or insulating botulism spores on the surface of the food or floating in the brine. I'd much rather add oil to ANY canning recipe (pickled peppers or spaghetti sauce) when I open the jar.

Hab Gold is great but doesn't use that many hot peppers. You can sub more for the bell peppers if you want it hotter. The vinegar doesn't tame the heat (it just makes it safe to BWB), but the sugar does.

Agree that the oil is optional although I don't think I would sub others for the olive oil as they are not nearly as refined and will go rancid more quickly.

Like Sheila I would only add it after opening the jars.

Dave

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I don't like the idea of adding oil to the peppers, unless it is necessary for quality. The risk of insulating botulism spores is scary - so I am with you, ajsmama - I'll add it after opening the jar, if necessary! :)
I have trouble coming up with ways to preserve the hot peppers. I grow them for friends and family, not myself. They are too hot for me, unless in something like the Habanero Gold jelly, where they are very tame. I hate to waste anything God has blessed us with, so I keep looking for ways to use them.
thanks!

I'm with you, I have so many pickled peppers from previous years (try saying that 3 times fast!) that I decided I'm not doing any this year. And last year was a bad year! DH and DS just don't eat them quickly enough.

This year I have some jals and serranos that are going into salsa (I've only done 15 pints though, have to peel some more tomatoes) along with the sweets. I may try the spaghetti sauce recipe (w/o meat, no oil, I'll just sweat the onions a little in water before adding the tomatoes) just to use peppers LOL. But it's about time to make some "Amish Gold" (Hinkelhatz peppers), that will use some of the sweets as well.

I've been giving tomatoes and other veggies to food pantry and soup kitchen, but no peppers yet. I did take some to use at fife&drum corps event (I made veggie soup with yellow tomato base and a chipotle salsa soup, left jalapenos there for them to make poppers but the serranos came back with DH on Sunday). I may drop some peppers off at pantry/kitchen next week though if I can't keep up. Garden is almost done for this year.

Some of the pickled pepper recipes call for a little sugar (say 2 tsp to 2 tbs) and some don't. How much sugar does it take to mellow a pint of the hot peppers, anyone know?

I believe the small amounts of sugar are there to take away the harshness of the vinegar, not to mellow the heat of the peppers. Not sure how much it would take to do the latter.

Rodney

I have trouble coming up with ways to preserve the hot peppers

Just dehydrate them. Keep forever. You can grind them into powders too for seasonings. You can also just freeze them and they are good for years. Chop, spread on cookie sheet to quick freeze then bag them. When needed just take out a handful as needed.

Dave

Dave,
Thanks for reminding me about dehydrating. I've been busy drying fruit and veggies lately, but have never dried the hot peppers. I don't want to add any more veggies to the freezer if I can help it, so drying or canning looks like the way to go. I imagine that dried habs will last a long, long time! :)