How Long

[Terry Coombs]

Can I leave the jalapenos on the plant ? They're loaded , and right now there just isn't time to preserve them . I have everything I need but time ... When it rains , it pours here . The machine shop is taking off in our new home town , and I 've been busier than the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof . Add in me learning new skills and I have even less time . The upside is that now we can quit spending my IRA's to live on ... and the down side is that I have a garden that's producing enough to can some and no time to do so . Too bad 'penos don't freeze well ... Damn , that made me sound like a whiner , never satisfied .

[Derald]

It takes japs weeks to ripen fully and they may be used at any time after they're large enough to suit you.. They'll bear throughout the warm season. Like most peppers, they become sweeter as they ripen and should be picked before the texture begins to deteriorate. They also store well under refrigeration.

Well, finally, some good news. Hope it keeps up after the "new" wears off ;-)

?? Freezing's the only way DW&I store them, chopped and whole, green and ripe; no blanching required. Frozen, they retain their fresh flavor indefinitely and certainly are suitable as an ingredient, although, the texture might not suit you for eating out-of-hand. As long as "Cajun Chef 'Lousiana nacho slices'" remain affordable, I see little point to pickling my own, although, I am occasionallly tempted to whip up a batch of my BIL's recipe,

Knock yourself out: It has become the "American Way", LOL!