Michael Symon and Michael Ruhlman are big names in food circles, but to those of us in Northeastern Ohio, they are hometown boys who made good.* I was introduced to both of them years ago, when I read an article about Symon, written by Ruhlman, in a local Cleveland magazine. That article became part of Ruhlman's The Soul of a Chef, the best book about chefs that I've read.
*We're a little paranoid around here; whenever someone gets national recognition, their first move is out of Cleveland. When someone decides to stay, even after they're famous, they hold a special place in our hearts. See Kosar, Bernie.

I was excited to read that Ruhlman is co-writing Symon's first cookbook, Live to Cook. But almost as interesting was the beautiful picture of Symon's Pickled Chilli Peppers, taken by Ruhlman's wife, Donna. That picture looks like summer in a jar.
*I was a hobbyist photographer for a while, and I am just stunned by the pictures Donna takes for Ruhlman.com. They are some of the most beautiful shots I've ever seen.
*[Update 9.12.2009] Donna's online, and making her pictures available to bloggers! Check her out at RuhlmanPhotography.com

I always have a jar of pickled jalapenos in my refrigerator*, so this recipe was an obvious one for me to try.
*In case of emergency, add pickled jalapenos.

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Pickled Chile Peppers

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Author: Mike Vrobel
Total Time: 24 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 1 quart 1x

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Description

Whole chile peppers pickled in sherry vinegar with garlic, thyme, coriander and peppercorns - summer in a jar. Adapted from Michael Symon.

Ingredients

Scale

Vegetables

1 to 2 pounds chile peppers (enough to fill your jar)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Pickling Liquid

1 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns

Instructions

Prep the vegetables: Pack the peppers, crushed garlic and thyme sprigs into the jar.
Make the pickling liquid: Combine the pickling liquid ingredients in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes to open up the flavor of the spices.
Pour the liquid over the peppers: Carefully pour the hot pickling liquid into the jar until the vegetables are covered. (For a less rustic look, pour it through a fine mesh strainer to strain out the herbs and spices.)
Refrigerate: Let cool to room temperature, close the lid, and refrigerate. They're best after at least 1 day in the refrigerator, and even better after a week.

Equipment

Quart Canning Jar

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Notes

Equipment: A clean quart jar with a tight fitting lid - canning jars or flip top gasket jars are the usual choices. I pour the pickling liquid into a Pyrex 2-quart measuring cup first, then into the jar - the spout makes it much less messy.

See my pickling vegetables basic technique for more details.

Fitting whole peppers in a narrow mouth jar is a 3-D puzzle. Use a wide mouth jar, or smaller chiles.

The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. If you see fur or fuzz growing on top of the liquid, throw them out.

Use them anywhere you would use fresh hot peppers - in salsa, sliced into rings on a sandwich, or diced on top of chili or tacos.

A mix of peppers looks beautiful in the jar, but it's hot pepper roulette - my serrano was blistering, while the banana pepper was mild. Next time I'll stick to one or two peppers with the same heat. (If you get burned, drink milk - it washes the capsaicin away better than water or beer.)

One kind of pepper: Make pickled jalapenos, like David Lebovitz did.

Pepper rings: Slice the peppers into rings before pickling. They don't look as pretty, but they're much easier to pack into the jar and to use later.

Other herbs and spices: Michael Symon adds 1 teaspoon cumin, and uses marjoram instead of thyme.

Adapted from Michael Symon's Pickled Chillis on ruhlman.com.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Refrigerate: 1 day
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Questions? Comments? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

Related Posts:
Click here for my Pickled Vegetables basic technique.

Adapted From:
Michael Symon's Pickled Chillis [ruhlman.com]

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