Pickled sweet piquanté peppers (peppadew) recipe
Ingredients for about 2 litres of fresh peppers:
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup white (wine/malt/spirit) vinegar
- ready-mixed pickling spice (usually contains allspice, chilli, cinnamon stick. cloves, black peppercorns, coriander, mustard seeds, ginger, bay leaves, cardamom)
If you do not live in Africa you may want to consider some health and safety aspects, like using surgical gloves while handling the peppers. If you don’t you may experience some side effects after the cleaning operation – a burning sensation at the fingertips near the nails. Also keep your hands away from your eyes and other sensitive body parts (even after they were washed).
Cut off the stems and remove the seeds with a small spoon (this may take a while).
Sterilize jars and lids.
Pour boiling water over the peppers and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Drain well.
Mix all the ingredients and bring to the boil.
Add peppers to the boiling mixture and boil for 15 minutes.
Bottle while hot. Stir/poke with a spoon or skewer to ensure all trapped air escapes.
Wait about 2-3 weeks before enjoying.
Also have a look at the other peppadew recipes, the alternative pickle peppadew recipe and peppadew chutney.
To find out more about the origin of this unique pepper read the peppadew story.
If the pickling/preserving bug bites consider investing in a good book for ideas and in order to learn more about this way of preserving food.
Bizarre….how is it that living in Africa protects one from the burning sensation?????????!!!!!!!!!
Haha, it was meant tongue-in-cheek.
Where did you get the peppers from? Can you use cherry peppers or does it have to be some special variety?
Hi Fiona, I got seeds from a gardener who worked in another garden with peppadews. Not sure if you can buy seeds anywhere but I have seen posts of people using other pepper varieties with success. At wikipedia there is more information on peppadews – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppadew.
1st time for me, have a peppadew tree, want to make pickled peppadew.
It is really easy – not much that can go wrong. Your own pickled peppadews are just so much more special. Only thing to watch out for is that after working with the peppadews, even after washing your hands, be careful where you touch – it may burn.
Hrmm that is weird, my remark got eaten. Anywho I wanted to express it’s nice to learn that someone else also highlighted this as I had a tough time searching out the same info elsewhere. This became the 1st place which helped me understand this. Thank you.
I have been looking for these seeds for 15 years and there are very few people who have them.
Can I freeze peppadews that is already ripe while I wait for the others to go red so I can prepare a proper batch?
IS THE PEPPADEW A ANNUAL PLANT OR NOT ?
I have not tried freezing, but picked ripe peppadews and kept them in the fridge for about 2 weeks until more got ripe.
Peppadews are perennial.
hi u ignorant people.that is offensive and not funny i live in africa and have a box of latex gloves lying aroud. if u need any let me know.
I have plenty seeds available, but the caretaking is intense, so they don’t come cheap. Offers? Include postage from South Africa.
I would like to buy some Peppadew seeds.
Thanks, Curtis
I live in Africa. I purchased some peppadews at a market and then cut out some seeds and dried them. I planted them and now get enough peppadews to pickle, or use in cooking. The plants will grow wherever you can grow tomatoes, chilli, pumpkin. Our area is frost free but I know people who grow them in in tunnels or greenhouses. Peppadews are full of vitamins and capsicain which is a feel good component. I find it best to grow them in a pot. Like all chilli your hands will burn after handling peppadews. Buy latex rubber gloves at a medical equipment or safety equipment store. They are useful for a number of applications.
Hi, I would like to know where i can buy piquante from, i want the actual fruit itself, is there any wholesalers that i can contact please let me know as soon as possible . Thank you
Pepperdews grow easily from seed. Plants need to be covered tho as the birds love them!
Hi, How many peppadews for this recipe?
Two litres of peppadews. Does not have to be precise, just ensure there is enough syrup to cover the peppadews, so rather make too much syrup than too little.
Hi there I have been after buying some pepadew – sweet piquant pepper seeds if you can help me or signpost to someone that can sell me some please contact me on shonawalker@live.co.uk
If there is anybody looking for pepperdew seed, i’m selling R20/ 20 seeds (South African) post and packaging excluded.
Please click on link for currency converter – http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html
email me on cahippy@gmail.com
Hi All
I have pepperdew seeds to sell, if interested, contact me cahippy@gmail.com