Pepperoncini Recipes

BRINE-PICKLED PEPERONCINI

Steps:

• Pour the water into a medium-sized sauce pan and warm over medium-low heat until it reaches about 100 F. Sprinkle in the salt, and whisk it into the hot water until it dissolves. Pour the warm saltwater into a pitcher, and let it cool to room temperature. Whisk in the starter culture, if using.
• Pack a quart-sized fermentation jar with whole pepperoncini, taking care not bruise them. Place the garlic cloves and bay leaf among the peperoncini, and pour in the cooled saltwater brine. Seal the crock, and allow the peppers to ferment for 10 days. Their color will fade and yellow. After about 10 days, open the crock and try a pepper. If you prefer a sourer flavor, continue fermenting the peppers until they acquire the flavor you like, testing every 5 to 7 days, at your leisure. Transfer to the refrigerator or cold storage. Brine-pickled peperoncini will last about 1 year, properly fermented.

STUFFED PEPPERONCINI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until bacon is browned. Move bacon to paper towels. Keep bacon drippings.
• In drippings, cook shallots and red pepper over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Cook about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Stir bacon and shallot into the mixture.
• Spoon cream cheese mixture into a heavy weight plastic bag. Cut a small hole in one corner to squeeze the filling from. With small knife, cut a slit lengthwise into each pepper. Do not cut the whole way through the pepper. By squeezing the bag, pipe cream cheese mixture into peppers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to one day.

PEPPERONCINI BEEF

Steps:

• Make small cuts in roast, and insert garlic slices in cuts. Place roast in the slow cooker, and pour the entire contents of the jar of pepperoncini, including liquid, over meat.
• Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
• When making the sandwiches, place meat in rolls, top with cheese, and zap in a microwave for a few seconds. Don't forget to use the pepperoncini in the sandwiches!

HOMEMADE PEPPERONI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Separately grind pork and beef through the coarse disk.
• Mix meats together with salt, sugar, cayenne, paprika, anise seed, garlic, red wine, ascorbic acid, and saltpeter in a large bowl.
• Spread mixture out on a large pan, cover loosely with waxed paper, and cure in refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Start with about 4 feet of casing. It's better to begin with too much than too little because any extra can be repacked in salt and used later.
• Rinse casing under cool running water to remove any salt stuck to it.
• Place casing in a bowl of cool water and let soak for about 30 minutes.
• After soaking, rinse casing under cool running water. Slip 1 end of the casing over faucet nozzle. Hold casing firmly on nozzle, and turn on cold water, gently at first, and then more forcefully. This will flush out any salt in the casing and pinpoint any breaks. Should you find a break, simply snip out a small section of casing.
• Place casing in a bowl of water and add white vinegar; a tablespoon of vinegar per cup of water is sufficient. The vinegar softens casing and makes it more transparent, which makes pepperoni look better. Leave casing in water-vinegar solution until ready to use. Rinse well and drain before stuffing.
• Stuff sausage into casings and twist off into 10-inch links.
• Using cotton twine, tie 2 separate knots between every other link, creating pairs of links. Cut between the double knots. ​
• Tie a string to the center of each pair to hang sausages. Hang pepperoni to dry in a space that is 50 F to 55 F with 75 to 80 percent humidity for six to eight weeks. Once dried, the pepperoni will keep, wrapped, in the refrigerator for several months.

PICKLED PEPPERONCINI PEPPERS

Steps:

• To begin, combine the water, vinegar, salt and sugar in a large pot. Bring it to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and keep the liquid hot for canning.
• Fill your jars with sliced or split peppers.
• Place 1/8 teaspoon of pickle crisp in each jar, along with 1 Tb peppercorns and a clove of garlic.
• Ladle the pickling liquid into the jars, allowing for 1/4 inch of head space.
• Use a bubble wand (or chop stick) to remove any air bubbles, pressing the peppers against the sides of the jar. Add additional liquid if needed to bring the liquid back to 1/4 inch of head space.
• Close your jars with lids and rings and place them in the canner.
• Process your jars for 10 minutes. (Adjust for elevation.)
• Allow the jars to rest for 5 minutes in the canner before transferring to a draft-free location to cool over night, or 12-24 hours.
• Remove the rings, check the seals, label and store your jars of pickled peppers.

PEPPERONCINI

Steps:

• Wearing rubber gloves,cut pepper rings into 1/4 inch slices and rinse out seeds.
• Place peppers in a bowl and cover with cold salted water Let set 1 hours then drain.
• Bring brine mixture to a boil.
• Place 1/2 tsp pickling salt and 1 clove garlic in each clean hot pint jar.
• Pack peppers tightly into clean hot pint jars.
• Cover peppers with brine and lLeave 1/2 inch head space.
• Seal with hot sterilized lids and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.
• Leave for at least 4 weeks to"cure" before using.

PICKLED PEPPERONCINI WITHOUT CANNING

Steps:

• Wash the peppers with cold water and allow them to dry. Put water, vinegar, sugar and salt into a soup pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and stir until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium and add bay leaves, whole coriander seeds and black peppercorns. Chop the garlic into small chunks and add it to the pot. Allow this to simmer for five minutes. Leave peppers whole and pierce their sides three to four times. Place the peppers into storage jars and leave about 1 inch of head space. Pour the hot liquid into the jars containing the peppers, screw on their lids and allow the jars to cool before placing them in the refrigerator. Let the peppers marinade for at least a week before using. The pickle flavor will be stronger the longer they sit. Tips: The pickles will keep for several months in the refrigerator. Do not use if pressure develops in the jars or if the liquid becomes really cloudy and begins to smell. This can be a sign of contamination and the pickles are not safe to eat.

PICKLED PEPPERONCINI

Steps:

• Wash and sort the pepperoncini. Using a sharp knife, make a split in the side of each, keeping the stem in tact.
• Wash and sterilize 4 16 ounce canning jars.
• Simmer the tops in water.
• Set a large canning pot to boil.
• In a large heavy bottomed pot, add 4 cups white vinegar and 4 cups water with 1/4 cup kosher or pickling salt and 1/3 cup sugar.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat.
• Stuff the jars with pepperoncini. Once these come out of the water canner, there will be considerably shrinkage of the peppers, so the more you can fit, the more appealing the final product will look.
• Into each jar add 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 6-7 whole pepper corns and 6-7 whole corriander seeds and 1 teaspoon of dried, crushed red pepper flakes.
• Fill the jars to about 1/4 inch head room, then add the tops and then the rims, and close, but not too tightly.
• Process for 10 minutes in boiling water with at least 2 inches of water above the rims.
• Once done, let the jars sit, covered for 5 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the canner and let them sit, undistirbed for 24 hours.
• Check the tops to be sure they've popped. This means, they've usually made a popping sound and the soft center of the lid as inverted. You can also check by tapping the top. If it goes up and down, the seal did not take. Any that did not can be refrigerated and eaten with a few weeks. Properly presserved, you can store the pepperoncini for up to a year. Refrigerate once opened.
• Enjoy!
• Karen Harris https://www.bittersaltysoursweet.com

PEPPERONCINI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken into Crockpot and sprinkle both seasoning packets over the top. Cut butter into 1 tbsp pieces and place on top too.
• Add peppers into slow cooker + juice from the jar as well.
• Close securely with lid and set to low temp. for 7-8 hours ideally, or 4 hours on high.
• If done the meat will shred very easily using 2 forks, if not add more time.
• Remove any bones if you have used a whole bird, stir ingredients together and serve on slider buns or with rice.