Quick one today! The recent cold weather has prompted lots of lovely spicy dishes at home, many of them made even hotter with the addition of this hot chilli pickle that I will share with you now. It’s so quick and easy to make. I’m not an expert pickler…yet! It’s on my lockdown list of hobbies to take up, but so far I’ve just dabbed. I made a lovely green tomato pickle in the autumn but the recipe I will share today is one that I’ve made a couple of times more recently and has added an extra kick to our pizzas, wraps and sandwiches.
Before I begin, just to add extra value to this blog I'll share a few facts (according to the internet!) I learnt on this journey....
-Red chilli peppers are a great source of vitamin C.
-The hottest part of the chilli is the part closest to the stem, as it contains a higher concentration of capsaicin.
-Fresh chillies are spicier in the summer and milder when the weather is cooler or rainier.
-Chillies help the body to release endorphins and dopamine which make you feel good...but only because the body is interpreting the heat as pain!
Ingredients
125g red chillies, sliced
A couple of garlic cloves
A few bay leaves
125ml cider vinegar
125ml water
70g sugar
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander seeds
Method:
-First, sterilise a small jar, one large enough to hold all of the chillies without them being squashed.
-I sterilise by putting a washed and rinsed jar top down in a medium hot oven to dry. It usually takes, 10/15 mins. Remove carefully with oven gloves.
-Put the chopped chillies, garlic cloves and bay leaves in the jar when it has been removed and is still hot.
-Put all of the other ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.
-Then pour the liquid into the jar with the chillies and put the lid on. Once again, be careful. The jar will be hot!
-Leave on the kitchen side to cool. When cool they can be stored in the fridge. I usually leave them for about a week before I use them although I’m sure you can use them sooner. They are a great addition. I only make in small batches as once opened them need to be used within a couple of weeks really but unopened they will last up to 4 months in the fridge.
FYI - I used peach apple cider vinegar on this occasion, as a bit of an
experiment, and it really works! It added a fruity flavour which worked well with the chilli flavour and heat.
Also, thank you to the customer who donates bay leaves from the garden to the shop and customers to take for free each year. I have a nice supply of dried leaves hung in the kitchen!
Thank you for reading. And any tips on pickling, if you spot me in the shop, will be greatly appreciated!