These chillies are are produced on a commercial scale in Turkey to meet the huge local demand. Easily grown in the UK, they are the perfect choice for preserving. They are rather more pungent than most pickling peppers, and significantly hotter when ripe. Because the chillies are pickled green, the plant never has to put energy into ripening the fruit or seeds. This results in a harvest which starts early in the season and can be repeated at regular intervals to give a very heavy total yield.
Although Turkish Pickling Chillies can be used ripe, they are normally picked and pickled while still light green. Pickled peppers are a very common side dish in Turkey, and will accompany most traditional meals. They are eaten with food rather than on their own, and are brilliant with bread and cheese. Try them with Lincolnshire Poacher or Quicke's Cheddar.
When pickling the chillies, a short length of stem should be left on each fruit. This makes them very easy to eat: the stem is held between thumb and forefinger and the whole pickled chilli pulled off the stalk with the front teeth. Provided only unripe chillies have been used, the core and seeds are not noticeable.
Detailed directions on how to pickle the chillies may be found here
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