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This year, I set a major goal for myself: growing a three-year supply of hot peppers and a year supply of sweet peppers for my family. We’re not big on spice, so a three-year stash of hot peppers wasn’t too daunting. I managed this with just eight spicy pepper plants. I’ll show you later how we plan to preserve them to ensure they last for three years.
For sweet peppers, which we consume a lot more of, I grew 25 plants. I experimented with 12 different varieties to see which would thrive best. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a tough year for sweet peppers, as I didn’t get nearly as many as last year. Nonetheless, the hot peppers did exceptionally well. Despite the challenges, I achieved my goal of a three-year supply of hot peppers and a one-year supply of sweet peppers.
The Hot Peppers
In the garden, I’m growing Anaheim chili peppers, purple cayenne peppers, mammoth jalepeno and poblanos. The purple cayennes are incredibly spicy and incredibly productive, with hundreds of peppers from just two plants. For a milder taste, the poblano and jalapeño varieties are perfect. Harvesting peppers early can help manage their spiciness, which is great for those of us with a low tolerance for heat. Peppers can be picked at various stages of maturity, from green to their final vibrant colors. This not only affects their flavor but also encourages the plant to produce more peppers.
The Sweet Peppers
This year, my sweet pepper varieties included Cachucha, Numex Suave, Ajvarski, Aji Dulce, Cubanelle, Yellow Monster, Paprika, Pimento, Yolo, Keystone, Arroz con Pollo and Criollo De Cocina. While the Cubanelle, Paprika, and Pimento varieties have always been reliable, this year the Pimento stood out as the best performer. Despite the lower overall yield, it was a fun experiment growing these different varieties and tasting their unique flavors.
Preserving the Harvest
Preserving my peppers involves a mix of methods. For short-term storage, I freeze my chopped peppers. These will last for about 6-12 months. Another option for preserving peppers is to can them into pickled peppers or cowboy candy. For long-term storage, freeze drying using my Harvest Right medium freeze dryer is my go-to. It can preserve the heat and flavor of hot peppers for up to 30 years, which is perfect since I don’t want to grow hot peppers every year. This also helps avoid cross-pollination issues between my hot and sweet peppers; allowing me to only grow sweet peppers most years. After freeze drying, I package the peppers in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers to keep them fresh for future use.
For sweet peppers, I prefer to preserve them before they fully mature to ensure a milder flavor but if you want them to have their maximum sweetness, allow them to ripen to their mature color. By picking my peppers before they are completly ripe, this encourages the plant to produce more peppers over the season. Freeze drying is an incredibly efficient way to preserve peppers, allowing me to store and preserve food without following strict canning recipes for a very long time. This flexibility is one of the reasons I love freeze drying so much.
Final Thoughts
Gardening and preserving food is incredibly rewarding. Despite some challenges with the sweet peppers this year, I’m thrilled with the results. From growing and harvesting to preserving and cooking, the process brings so much joy and satisfaction. I hope this inspires you to try growing and preserving your own peppers. Happy gardening and happy preserving!
