Pickled Habanada Peppers with Shallot and Lime Peel
These sweet and sour pickled peppers feature habanada peppers, a heatless variety of the habanero that packs all of the same flavor without the burn. Their lightly sweet, fruity flavor is accentuated by thinly-sliced shallots and lime peel, along with whole cumin seeds. Makes a fantastic topping for tacos and sandwiches, as well eggs, meats, and seafood.
Servings: 1 quart
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.