We get a weekly AMAP box and as the kids are away, I'm about to suffer vegetable backlog....
I need to find something to do with a load of long, green Basque type peppers. Any suggestions?
And along the same lines, since we started with the box scheme, it has made me very aware of eating seasonally. I'm currently wondering how I could preserve tomatoes so that come January when my box contains only turnips, swede and manglewurzels, I can still enjoy the taste of fresh tomatoes. Are sauces / purees my only option or can you bottle them or something?
Basque type peppers? Are they like sweet peppers? If so, my neighbour grows them and always chops one on top of tomato salad. It tastes good, looks colourful… and, as tomato salad appears at every meal through the summer, she doesn’t seem to have many peppers left over.
Same neighbour also grows huge quantities of tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines etc. As well as bottling the tomatoes (as a passata) she makes loads of ratatouille (I think that gets frozen) which then gets used as is, or for quiche fillings etc during the winter months.
You can do the tomatoes without the boiler and gas ring in the oven - I will look up how to do it and post it up, as I prefer the other method.
ps - you need a thermometer with the boiler method as well.
Absolutely.
You will need to get the preserving jars, plus a boiler and gas burner - all pretty reasonable and all from the supermarket.
Tomato sauces etc are wonderful as they retain their original flavour and can be kept for a year.
Let me know when you have the kit and I will post a “how to” on here.
Peppers can be preserved in a weak cider vinegar solution - 75 percent vinegar and 25 water. Add a few tablespoons of sugar, some peppercorns and gently bring to the boil. Cook. Wash and dry the peppers and place in a jar, pouring the vinegar over the top. If the peppers are mild then you can add some whole chilli to the boiling mix. Here’s a link with some more ideas
