One last trip to the heat

Once all the air is out of the jars, they are sealed and again put in boiling water. They are left in the boil for about 15 minutes.

This helps to kill any extra nasties. Also when the jar heats, the contents expand. This forces out most of the last remaining air or even some vinegar. A vacuum helps seal the jars tightly. After a couple of months, if the seal is noy firm when I try to open the jar , I won't eat what is inside.

Still hot

After the pickles have been boiled in their jars, they remain hot for several hours afterwards. I turn the jars upside down and allow the chiles on top to steep in the hot vinegar until the jars are again cool enough to tough with bare hands.

That is my basic process of making chile pickles. I really enjoy them as a quick wake-up call in the morning, on sandwiches, as side treats, or just something to nibble on.

If you are interested in more recipes, I would suggest that you try this pickling page. The author has a really great page on chiles, including pickling.

Thanks for reading these pages. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me.