When is it enough? I’m talking about the spicy, tangy, sometimes eye-watering heat that comes from these gorgeous Thai Chili Peppers. Honestly I never knew they were called Thai Chili Peppers until I started this blog and needed a description. I sometimes heard my dad say ‘junglee mircha’ (Junglee = Wild / Mircha = Hot Pepper). All that said, these peppers are one of my favorite ingredients to work with. They are the co-star in many of my vegetable curry recipes like this dhal or this chutney recipe, I also use in my tuna or eggs. Cooked or raw. Okay you get the point, I am sure!
As far as the “pickled” peppers, I didn’t use the word “pickled” because this recipe is much more simple than that of pickling. Many recipes online call for heating vinegar, salt and sugar in a separate pot before adding to the peppers. Some recipes call for adding in garlic or other items into the mixture. All of those sound delicious, but this is the most simple and quick version of pickled peppers I know of and one that I would see my dad make almost once every other month (because that’s how much we ate it!).
Many times I will make a less spicy curry depending on who will be eating it. Because of this, I enjoy always having Vinegar Mircha in my refrigerator. If you love spicy food, you will love adding these peppers to the side of your meals. If you are nervous about eating the whole pepper, try the brine first, then ease your way into the peppers. Let me know what you think!
Some helpful tips:
- Use gloves while making this, especially if you have sensitive skin.
- Be sure to de-stem your peppers to make them last longer.
- Use a glass jar instead of a plastic jar.
- You can keep this outside of the fridge, but refrigerating them will allow them to last at least six months.
Ingredients
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- Wash chilies under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- The chilies have to be completely dry, if needed, I usually lay them out on paper towels for a little while before jarring.
- Once dry, remove the stem from the chilies. This step helps elongate the life of the chilies and also helps locate any that may not be as crisp. If you find any wilted or less fresh chilies during this process, toss them. If not, bad chilies will shorten the lifespan of the rest of them. (use this step to store regular chilies in your fridge as well!)
- Add chilies to a mason jar. (glass jars with a tight seal are best for this)
- Add kosher salt.
- Add vinegar.
- Tighten lid, and rotate jar a few times to get everything mixed in.
- Refrigerate. For ideal taste and texture, wait about two weeks before eating. ENJOY!!
- This recipe should keep for about 6 months in your fridge (if you don't eat them all before hand).
