Hot Peppers à la Pirkey

Start looking for peppers around mid-August.  
Allow peppers to dry out till shriveled up – mix red and green with care -- too many red ones can make results less desirable.  (They are apt to be less crisp and not as hot.)

First day:  Slit peppers open lengthwise (not cutting through), clean out seeds, insert well-salted anchovies, fold sides together, and put into a basket for pressing.

Leave in press for about a day, increasing pressure so that all moisture will be pressed out.

Second day:  Fill jars with the peppers, add oil, and press out air.  Leave standing at least overnight so that oil can work its way into the peppers.  Add more oil as needed.

Third day:  Put lids on jars.

Notes on back of recipe indicate

In 1981, less than 2 bushels peppers, small, produced 47 half pint jars.

In 1992, four one-half bushel baskets @$11 and six large 28-ounce cans anchovies @$15, produced 38 jars.  (These are Poppy’s notes, handwritten on back of Nancy’s typed recipe.)                                      

(double click anywhere along the pepper string above to view photos of the process)

This recipe has been kitchen tested.