Loadsa Chillies, loadsa Questions?

[Snadger]

I have grown chillies for the first time this year..........loads of them!
They are all the same type, just your common or garden green or red chillies.
How can I store them in the green form? Pickled,sun dried,frozen? I love eating samosas and an integral part is green chillies!
The red are just dried I presume?
When do I pick them if I want them red?
I think I've now sussed the stringing of red chillies, but if I quick dry them can I string em green? Will the first frost kill the plants? Will they produce until Christmas if they are in a cold greenhouse?

So many questions........

[vicki]

I just chuck my chillies in the freezer whole and then use them straight from the freezer, snipped with a pair of scissors. I makes cutting them much easier I find, and they keep the quality, no problem

[bramble]

Me too, i store in the fridge in freezer bags. Saves them getting freezer burn. This year i grew a hugh variety of different peppers so i have them all labelled and frozen until i have more time to decide what to make with them.

[Waffler]

I have tried freezing them (chopped then added to a teensy bit of water in ice-cube trays) and drying them (strung together on cotton, hung in the airing cupboard). My preferred way is freezing as I literally just bung however many I want in to the dish I'm preparing. I guess if you wanted the chilli without the liquid, ie for salsa or something, you could let them defrost and drain them. I find the dried ones a little annoying to chop as the bits fly off in all directions!
As far as the other questions go...
I'm pretty sure frost will kill them, and given your location I think it's doubtful you'd get chillis beyond late October/early November. I'll happily stand corrected. I'm in the south and my plants were killed by frost (don't recall when) and weren't producing at Christmas.
I think for red chillis you're supposed to simply leave the green ones to mature on the plant.
Not had any chillis off my plants yet!

[valmarg]

I think I've posted this before, its from a Jamie Oliver cookbok.

When you slit the chillies, DON'T use your thumbnail, like I did, or if you do wear rubber gloves. oooh the agony later!!

We have kept them for longer than four months.

PICKLED CHILLIES

Pickled chillies are absolutely superb. They are brilliant because they can just sit in the fridge waiting to be used. I particularly like to use them in stir-frying or in broths or to eat them just as they are with some cheese and bread.

600g/1lb 5oz medium green chillies
15 black peppercorns
5 bas leaves
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
5 teaspoons salt
6 heaped tablespoons caster sugar
1 litre/1¾ pints white wine vinegar or rice vinegar

For this recipe you must use perfect green chillies without any blemishes (you can use red chillies, but they will be slightly hotter).

Carefully score from the stalk end to the tip on one side only and remove the seeds (use the handle of a teaspoon for this). Pour boiling water over the chillies, let them sit for 5 minutes, then drain. This will get rid of most of the seeds left behind.

Next put the black peppercorns, bay leaves, coriander, chillies and salt into a large jar, or other airtight container. Put the sugar and the vinegar into a pan and heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. When this is quite hot, but not boiling, pour it into the jar with the chillies. Allow I to cool down and then put the lid on.

Put in the fridge and leave for a minimum of two weeks before using. They will keep in the fridge for at least four months.

valmarg

[Winged one]

We had a chilli plant once in our old house, which we left 5 years ago now. We got so many off that one plant that we dried loads on the window ledge and just stuck them in an ordinary jamjar. We are still using them up no problem - OH used some about a month ago in a chilli con carne. So drying can work well for use as dried. Next year I will try again and might freeze some to use fresh.