Best way to preserve jalapeno peppers?

[Vinca]

Finally, after a summer of disappointing pepper plants, the jalapeno plants are producing like nobody's business. I'm thinking of drying or freezing them and wonder if anyone here has a suggestion for something that works well. (I'm too lazy to can, though.)

[Blue Gardener]

1. I give mine away

I don't use enough of them to go to the trouble. My Mexican friend loves me for it since she makes salsa weekly.

[Kolesar]

2. Dry them, crush them, and sprinkle them on everything

I noticed that whenever I freeze chili peppers, I never use them up. I have to pull out an entire pepper to use it in a receipe like chili or salsa.

[LiberalEsto]

3. Freeze them

I cut off the stem ends, cut them in half, remove the seeds and freeze them in zipper sealed plastic bags.

I also pick basil leaves, rinse them, shkae off excess water and freeze them. Taking out a frozen leaf and dropping it into simmering pasta sauce is a wonderful way to evoke the scent of a summer garden in the middle of winter .

[Gormy Cuss]

4. Let them get red ripe on the plant.

Make a batch of hot sauce with peppers, vinegar and salt and keep it in the fridge -- no need to can.
Here's a description of the process : http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/vegetables/hotsauce.asp You can also make a green jalapeno sauce this way but the flavor of the red sauce is much better.

We make our own and store it in a quart size Mason jar at the bag of the fridge and keep a small squeeze bottle on the refrigerator door. If you don't can it, it must be refrigerated when not in use but it lasts for at least 6 months.

Take other red ripe ones and remove the stems then dry them. You can even fake chipotles by smoking the red jalapenos for a bit in a smoker or toss the dried ones on a low grill with plenty of smoking chips.

[Vinca]

5. Well, I feel dumb. I thought they were jalapenos, but it turns out

they're pablanos. I imagine the same suggestions will work.

[asdjrocky]

6. That is so funny.

It's my first garden this year and half the time I have no idea what I'm growing. I have a lot of tomatoes this season, and a lot of jalapenos, so I just make a lot of salsa. It keeps great in quart jars in the fridge and I give a lot of it away as well.

[BOSSHOG]

8. Towards the end of last summer

my garden was just about done and I had extra seeds left over so I just poured them all together and spread the seeds in a big pot. I got a huge potpourri of stuff that turned out quite nice. Mostly flowers but I had a couple peppers pop up and one grape tomato plant. Gardening is such a great calming hobby.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. No! Ignore what I posted.

Poblanos should be charred quickly over high heat then allowed to cool in a covered bowl. When cool, slip off the skins and remove the seeds and stems. You now have roasted green chiles. Freeze them in cup size portions for use in Mexican recipes all winter. You'll get a ton of chile flavor with little if any heat. Roasted poblanos are great in salsa, chili, and a simple dish with sauteed onions called rajas. Here's a sample if somewhat elegant version of rajas (I never make mine with cream.)
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/rajas.htm

You could make a hot sauce with poblanos mixed with hot peppers but it would be a waste IMHO.

edited to add missing link

[Vinca]

9. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try it! nt

[tsuki]

10. I pickle mine in jam jars.

Slice the jalapenos. Boil your jam jars for 15 minutes. Boil Heinz white vinegar. Take the jam jar from the boiling water and drop a small clove of garlic, 1/4 tsp of salt, and stuff jalapenos into the jar within a 1/2" of the top. Pour boiling Heinz white vinegar in the jar within a 1/4" of the top. Place a warmed lid, not boiled, on the top of the jar and tighten with a ring. Repeat.

One of our favorite snack is a plate full of fresh de-seeded jalapeno halves stuffed with peanut butter.