Culinary Guides

The stuffed cherry peppers at gourmet shops can run more than ten dollars a jar, but a basket of cherry peppers from the garden or market costs next to nothing. With a simple hot brine you get the same crisp, tangy result at home, ready to eat whole or scoop out and stuff.

Ingredients

• 12 cherry peppers, washed well
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, cut into thirds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 peppercorns

Directions

1. Poke a few holes around the tops of the peppers with the tip of a knife so the brine can get inside.
2. Put the peppers, vinegar, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
3. Reduce to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers soften slightly.
4. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool about 30 minutes so the flavors meld.
5. Transfer the peppers and brine to a storage container, making sure the peppers stay submerged, and seal.
6. Refrigerate at least a few hours, and ideally 24 hours, before serving. They keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Play with the brine by adding bay leaves, mustard seeds, or a sprig of fresh dill. Once pickled, the peppers are excellent scooped out and stuffed with cream cheese, goat cheese, feta, or prosciutto.

Grower's tip: cherry peppers are one of the best pickling peppers because their thick walls stay crisp in brine instead of going limp. Grow more than you think you need, since they set heavily all at once, and pickle the surplus to carry a summer glut deep into winter.

This is the easiest way to put up a pepper harvest. Grow a couple of cherry pepper plants for a steady supply, and keep a little dill nearby to drop into the jar.