Pickled Hot Peppers (specifically Sport Peppers)

[Backyard Buddies]

After a trip to Chicago this past summer, I fell in love with Chicago Dogs, which included the yummy, slightly spicy Sport Peppers.

This is an ingredient I cannot purchase here, so I'm going to order Sport Pepper seeds, grow my own, and pickle enough to last me through the year. I understand that it's a quite prolific plant.

Any tips on pickling hot peppers?

 

[nccountrygirl]

Ball Blue Book Recipe for Pickled Peppers


4 quarts peppers
1 1/2 cups salt
4 quarts water
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS prepared horseradish ( optional )
2 garlic cloves
10 cups ACV
2 cups water

Wear rubber gloves to prevent burning hands. Cut 2 small slits in each pepper. Dissolve salt in 4 qts water. Pour over peppers and let stand 12 to 18 hrs. in a cool place. Drain, rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine remaining ingredients in Large sauce pot. Simmer 15 Min's. Remove garlic. Pack pepper into Hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps Process half pints and pints 10 Min's. in hot water bath. Yield 8 pints.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Thanks Laura! Do you know whether it has to be ACV? Could some white vinegar be used as well? I don't recall a strongish ACV flavor, so I wonder if it was blended somehow???

Oh, and I've been reading about something called Pickle Crisp. What kind of store would carry that locally? I see small sections of pickling supplies as the grocery stores, so I figure that some other type of place carries a larger supply. I could mail order it (it's quite inexpensive) but would rather seek out a good source of supplies nearby and haven't the faintest idea where one would start for that.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

What actually is a sport pepper? I thought I had grown and eatin' about every pepper out there and have never heard of that one.

 

[patandchickens]

Thanks Laura! Do you know whether it has to be ACV? Could some white vinegar be used as well?

I'm not Laura, but AFAIK it is always ok to substitute an equal or stronger strength vinegar in pickling. Cutting the cider vinegar with white vinegar should be just fine. Just don't use anything weaker, like rice wine vinegar.

Oh, and I've been reading about something called Pickle Crisp.

Alum?


Pat

 

[Backyard Buddies]

What actually is a sport pepper? I thought I had grown and eatin' about every pepper out there and have never heard of that one.

As I understand it, Sport Peppers are a regional thing - specific to Chicago. You get an hour outside of Chicago and they become increasingly difficult to find. When you're in Chicago and order a hot dog, it comes "dragged through the garden." That means that it has mustard (no ketchup), onion, fluorescent green relish, a dill pickle spear, a couple of slices of tomatoes, two sport peppers, a dash of celery salt. This all goes on top of a beef dog in a poppy seed bun.

Here's a site dedicated to the Chicago Dog, complete with pictures:
http://www.hotdogchicagostyle.com/makeyourown.php

You can buy the seeds here:
http://www.tomatogrowers.com/hot5.htm


(funny tidbit - as I was typing this, the Food Network was showing a piece about Chicago Dogs!)

I've read on the Net that there may be a pepper that is served down in Texas and Louisiana that is similar. Down that way it's said that they put these on greens. I'll leave it to one of our Southern members to comment on the accuracy of that.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

AFAIK it is always ok to substitute an equal or stronger strength vinegar in pickling. Cutting the cider vinegar with white vinegar should be just fine. Just don't use anything weaker, like rice wine vinegar.

Thanks! I hear this plant is very productive, so I may get a chance to play around with it some. I do have the Ball canning book, so I'll have to sit down and do some serious reading. I'm still new to this canning thing so I have much to learn.

Alum?

I think they're different, but serve the same purpose. Again, it might be fun to try each and see which ends up working the best.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

I have seen them on the "dogs" Even tasted a few but never actually heard them called "sport" peppers. They kind of remind me of a pickled tem pepper. This is a very mild version of a jalepano. The tem peppers aren't that hard to find if you look at local green houses that sell garden crops.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

IThey kind of remind me of a pickled tem pepper. This is a very mild version of a jalepano. The tem peppers aren't that hard to find if you look at local green houses that sell garden crops.

I hadn't heard of those, so I went back to the website posted above. There is one called a Tam Jalapeno. Is that the one you're talking about? If so, perhaps I'll have to grow a few of those. While I love hot (if the nose isn't running, it isn't hot enough! ) the kids aren't there yet. We like to make salsa, especially when we have fresh 'maters in the garden.

The problem I keep having is that the peppers are always ready before the tomatoes. Last year I tried planting the 'maters a whole month before the peppers. I may have to try 2 months this year.

What other kinds of hot peppers do you like?

 

[Grow 4 Food]

I will be trying the poblano chilies this year to go with the habanero, jalepano, tabasco, hot bananas, sweet bananas, and bells (4 colors). Oh I forgot I planted tem peppers and long chilies as well.