Last time out, we posted a recipe that featured not one, but THREE rather uncommon ingredients. With so much going on in that dish, we couldn’t really spare all that much time discussing each one. But one of those ingredients has taken center stage in nearly all of our personal our cooking lately, so this time around we want to put it directly in the spotlight: the habanada pepper.
The habanada is the first heatless variety of the more familiar habanero, and has only been available to the public since 2014. It packs the same aroma and fruity flavors as the little orange scorcher it is derived from, but ditches its famous burn. So what I’m saying is that if you like the flavor of habanero but can’t take the heat (or just want a mild, sweet pepper that is big on flavor), this pepper is for you. They make a great snacking pepper when fresh, and lend themselves very well to all sorts of dishes. They are even quite tasty before they ripen and are still green.
As we mentioned before, we planted some of these in the garden this year and they absolutely exploded on us, netting enough to fill 6 one-gallon freezer bags. With so many on hand, we needed to find ways to preserve them before they spoiled. So like so many before us, we turned to the age-old process of pickling.
Our first attempts used a basic salt and vinegar solution. The results were good, but we felt it wasn’t the best method to showcase the habanadas’ uniquely fruity flavor profile. For our next batch, we opted for a sweetened pickling solution and added a few extra ingredients to the jar that we hoped would accent the peppers: shallot, whole cumin seeds, and lime peel (conveniently left over from our shark dish from last time). It did not disappoint.
These pickled peppers are fantastic on eggs, fish, chicken, beef, sandwiches, tacos, pizza, or anything else that might like the sweet/sour treatment. You can even just scoop them up with chips and eat them like salsa.
This recipe is intended to be processed in a boiling water bath, which will make the unopened jar shelf-stable for at least a year if properly sealed and stored. If you chose to skip this step, you will need to refrigerate your peppers immediately and use them up within a few weeks.
Pickled Habanada Peppers with Shallot and Lime Peel
Equipment
- canning/jarring set or large pot with lid (for boiling water bath)
- sterile 1-quart jar with lid
Ingredients
- 4 cups sliced habanada peppers tightly packed
- 1 shallot
- Peel from 1 lime
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1½ cup sugar
- 2 cup water
- ½ tsp whole cumin seed
- 2 tsp pickling salt
Instructions
- Clean and sterilize a 1-quart jar and lid (or an equal volume of smaller jars). Set up your water bath or canning system.
- Peel the shallot and slice very thinly across the grain. Set aside.
- Scrape off any pulp and as much of the white rind from the lime peel as possible. Thinly slice and set aside.
- Fill your jar(s) with the sliced peppers, shallots, and lime peel. Alternate between layers of pepper and layers of shallot and lime. Pack the jars tightly to avoid leaving any large air pockets. Leave 1/2″ of space to the top of the jar.
- In a medium pot, bring water, vinegars, salt, sugar, and cumin seeds to a boil. Once a full boil is reached, remove from heat and immediately (and carefully!) pour over peppers, again leaving 1/2″ of head space at the top of the jar. Use a knife, spatula, or similar utensil to release any air pockets that become trapped in the peppers.
- Place lid on jar and tighten firmly by hand. Process in water bath for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove from water bath and allow to rest undisturbed in a cool, dark place for 24 hours. Check to ensure that the lid has sealed – as long as it has, the jar may be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.
Notes
- Habanada peppers may be available at farmers markets and specialty produce vendors, but are not widely available commercially yet. Seeds are readily available through heirloom seed vendors such as Baker’s Creek, and we have found them to be exceptionally easy to grow.
- We leave the seeds and membranes in when using habanada peppers, since we find that they hold a good amount of the flavor. You can of course remove them if you prefer.
- This recipe will work with other pepper varieties – naturally, the flavor and heat levels will vary depending on the variety you chose.
- We recommend pickling salt here because it will dissolve cleanly. Other types of salt will work just fine, but they may cloud the pickling solution or leave behind some residue.
