I’m Proud of My Peppers!
Ever wondered how many peppers it takes to make a peck of peppers? I have. And after harvesting loads of peppers on Sunday, I decided to find out exactly what a peck is. Turns out it is a unit of dry volume equal to 8 quarts.
I haven’t picked a peck of peppers yet, but I’m halfway there! I’ve got four quarts of roasted peppers in the freezer and am waiting to harvest my Hungarian Carrot Chiles and more ‘Jimmy Nardello’ sweet peppers.
Roasted peppers add big flavor to some of my favorite winter comfort foods—stacked enchiladas, tortilla soup, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potato tacos. You can roast peppers under a broiler until their skins blister and char, but I prefer to grill them over a charcoal fire, because they take on a nice smoky flavor. I freeze most of my peppers, and I’ve found that they tend to not stick together if I freeze them individually first, and then pack them into bags. To do this, I first arrange them in a single layer on a pizza tray and stick it in the freezer. Once the peppers are solid, I quickly load them into 2-cup or 1-quart plastic freezer bags and immediately put the bags into the freezer.
When I’m ready to use the peppers in a recipe, I pull what I need out of the freezer, let them thaw for a few minutes, and then run them under warm water. The charred skins slip right off and the pepper are ready to chop and use.
This was by far my best pepper year ever and I give all the credit to the fabulous mini greenhouse (pictured above at the beginning of the season) that Jon and I built. The Pepper Palace, as I called it, kept the plants warm and growing during our cold June and protected them from the chilly evening temperatures we had all summer. I’m going to expand the greenhouse next year so there is enough room to grow eggplants and okra underneath its cozy warm embrace.
Oh my God. If Henry knows about this, he’s going to make a break for it and move all the way up to Seattle to live with you. Peppers are his favorite!
October 8th, 2008 at 1:28 pmThank you for the great description of how you freeze them. I am so going to try that.
October 8th, 2008 at 4:07 pmNice peppers — From listening to the radio show this year must of been little tough for summer veggies. Sacramento, CA.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:15 pmgorgeous Willi! greenhouse planning in the works..
October 9th, 2008 at 7:48 amWhat a beautiful assortment of colors - I would love to grow peppers like this. Thanks for the freezer idea - I will have to try that.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:34 amLovely! Did you vent to keep the mildew down? I’ve had good pepper years and not-so-good. This year was a not-so-good. I’m proud of your peppers, too!
October 9th, 2008 at 9:20 amI didn’t have a problem with mildew or other diseases in the greenhouse. In mid-summer, when the weather finally warmed up, I took off the plastic and put on a row cover. I used TufBel–which is very thin and lets lots of light in. I got it from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply (http://www.groworganic.com). They were sold out of it this summer but it might be back in stock by now. Thanks for all your nice comments! Even if you didn’t have a good pepper year this year, I bet a farmer in your area did. My farmer’s market had tons of peppers for sale (and at good prices) last weekend. So you still have time to stock up for the winter!
October 9th, 2008 at 9:30 amWhat are the hoops made of? I could use a hot-house for my peppers too! Nice peppers!
October 9th, 2008 at 11:41 amHi, Pam! The hoops are made from copper tubing. My original post has a step-by-step guide to making the greenhouse: http://www.digginfood.com/2008/06/diy-mini-greenhouse/
October 9th, 2008 at 11:45 am