Email to Cat      

Pepper Vinegar

Source of Recipe

From "Beans, Greens & Sweet Georgia Peaches" by Damon Lee Fowler


Recipe Introduction

"Pickled peppers and the vinegar in which they are cured are important fixtures in a Southern kitchen, both in cooking, where they are used as a flavoring in countless vegetable and meat dishes, and at the table, where they are a condiment that accompanies everything from turnip greens to baked chicken. When a recipe calls for pepper vinegar, it means the vinegar from this pickle, and not hot sauce, so don't substitute the latter for it. You can, however, use a few drops of hot sauce diluted in regular cider vinegar."

List of Ingredients

• 6 ounces whole fresh hot peppers
• About 1 cup cider vinegar


Recipe

Sterilize a pint jar by boiling it in a water bath for 10 minutes.
Wash the peppers well and dry them. Making sure that your hands are very clean, pack the peppers in the jar.

Bring the vinegar to a boil in a stainless-steel or enameled pan over medium heat. While it is still boiling hot, pour it over the peppers until they are completely covered. Seal the jar, let it cool, and store it in a cool, dark place (the refrigerator is okay) for 2 to 4 weeks before using. Use the peppers within 2 months.

For more prolonged storage, process the jar in a water bath for 10 minutes. Place the jar on a folded cloth so that it doesn't touch anything, and let it cool completely. If it doesn't seal, reprocess it.

Makes 1 pint.


Note:
You can use any green or red hot peppers to make pepper vinegar. Cayenne, tiny rounded bird peppers, and jalapeños are the most popular in the South. Each has its own distinct character, and some are much hotter than others, so take this into account when you are adding the peppers or pepper vinegar to a recipe.