Chiles En Vinagre

This is a recipe for pickled peppers I got from a book by Lourdes Nichols. It calls for sliced green chillis of no particular type, but I usually use Jalepenos if I can get them cheap enough - & it certainly bulks it out more. I dont see why whole ones wouldnt work either - they just go further when sliced: Heat oil in a large saucepan [avoid aluminium] & toss the chiles, carrots, onions & red pepper for two minutes each [or in whatever order suits you, & dont have the oil too hot], removing them from the heat & setting them aside in a bowl until they are all done. [You may need to add more oil as you go along] [At this point I also add half the garlic, cooked until it is about to turn brown, before adding to the above bowl] Slowly add the vinegar, herbs, seasoning, the rest of the garlic & the sugar to the remaining oil in the pan, & boil until the liquid is reduced by one-third [I have no idea why this is neccessary]. Pour the boiling liquid over the vegetables, & allow to cool uncovered. When cold, transfer to clean jars & seal. Refrigerate once jar is open. For variation, I have experimented with less carrots, more than one (bell) pepper (yellow) & added cauliflower, with success. I recommend that you dont over-cook the vegetables, & refrigerate the finished product within a day (ie. b4 you open the jar)- this ensures that the everything stays crispy & crunchy (especially the carrots which otherwise seem to develop a mushy texture). This is quite a sharp (acidic) recipe - but I like it & so does anyone who tries it! (And it is certainly better than the over salted commercial pickled chiles). Its quite interesting to notice the Jalepenos change from dark to pale green as they pickle. I have been toying with trying this recipe with Scotch Bonnets or Habs, instead of normal green chillis - Ill post the results if I do... Posted to CHILE-HEADS DIGEST by Paul Richards <paular@zoo.co.uk> on May 13, 1998