Preserving Green Chili Peppers: Freezing, Soy Pickles, Koji Ferment, Yuzu Kosho and Chili Miso

Decide where each pod goes the day you pick it

Green chilies lose crispness, heat and aroma within days of picking and keep about a week in the crisper. At peak season five plants give 30 to 50 pods a week, so set aside what you will eat fresh and send the rest to the freezer or a jar the same day. Knowing how long each method keeps makes the sorting automatic.

Freezing, whole or chopped

Freezing is the easiest and most forgiving method. Whole frozen pods slice cleanly straight from the freezer with no prep. If you chop first, press the pieces flat in a bag so you can snap off a portion. Either way the aroma holds for about six months.

1. Wash and dry thoroughly Rinse the pods and pat them completely dry with the caps on. Surface water turns to frost and makes thawed pods mushy.
2. Whole: lay flat in a freezer bag Arrange pods in a single layer, press out the air and freeze. Slice into rounds from frozen and trim the cap while still hard.
3. Chopped: seeds and all, pressed thin With gloves on, slice into rounds, bag with the seeds and flatten. Score lines with a chopstick so portions snap off.
4. Do not thaw before using Add frozen pieces straight to the pan or pot. Thawing releases water and lets the aroma escape.

Soy pickles are ready in a week

The simplest preserve: sliced green chilies covered in soy sauce. In about a week the heat moves into the soy, and a spoonful transforms cold tofu, an egg over rice or a noodle dipping sauce. Slender Korean-type pods are ideal; slice jalapenos into thin rings.

1. Slice 3.5 oz (100 g) of chilies Trim the caps and slice into rounds. Removing seeds tames the heat, but pods with seeds keep longer. Wear gloves.
2. Cover with about 7 fl oz (200 ml) soy sauce Pack the chilies into a clean jar and pour in soy sauce to cover. A tablespoon of mirin rounds off the edges.
3. Refrigerate for a week Lid on, in the refrigerator, ready in about a week. Use within a month; when topping up, add fresh chilies and fresh soy.

Sanshozuke, the northern koji ferment

Sanshozuke is a preserve from northern Japan made from equal weights of green chilies, rice koji and soy sauce. The name refers to one measure of each; at home, equal weights work fine. It is ready in about a month and keeps a year or more refrigerated. The traditional chili is a hot, slender northern type, and it goes on rice, grilled fish or sliced cucumber.

1. Equal weights of chili, koji and soy For 7 oz (200 g) of chilies, use 7 oz (200 g) of rice koji and 7 fl oz (200 ml) of soy sauce. Dried or fresh koji both work.
2. Slice the chilies into rounds Trim the caps and slice, seeds and all, about a quarter inch (5 mm) thick. These are very hot; ventilate, wear gloves and wash the board right away.
3. Crumble the koji, mix, add soy Break the koji apart by hand, mix with the chilies, pack into a clean jar and pour in the soy. Koji soaks it up, so top off with more soy the next day if needed.
4. A month in the refrigerator, stirring Refrigerate and stir once a day for the first week. When the koji has softened and the mixture thickens, it is ready and will keep for over a year.

Yuzu kosho, when green citrus is in season

Yuzu kosho is a southern Japanese condiment of grated green yuzu zest, green chilies and salt pounded together. Green yuzu arrives in early fall, right when fall chilies carry their sharpest heat. Small hot types like serrano or island chili need only a little; with jalapenos, use more. It goes with hot pot, noodles, grilled chicken and even sashimi. Lime zest stands in if yuzu is unavailable.

1. Grate the zest Grate the outer zest of three or four green yuzu, avoiding the white pith, which turns the paste bitter.
2. Mince the chilies Remove caps and seeds from about 1 oz (30 g) of chilies and mince finely. A mortar and pestle gives a smoother paste.
3. Add salt and pound Weigh the zest and chili together, add 20 percent of that weight in salt, and work it to a paste in the mortar. More salt means longer keeping.
4. Jar it and let it mellow for a week Pack into a clean jar and refrigerate; the flavor settles in about a week. Keeps six months in the refrigerator, a year in small frozen portions.

Chili miso for the rice bowl

Chopped green chilies fried in oil, then cooked down with miso, sugar and mirin into a thick relish. The sweetness of the miso rounds off the heat, so even cautious eaters enjoy it inside rice balls or on raw vegetables. Thick-walled, moderately hot types like jalapeno suit it best.

1. Roughly chop 3.5 oz (100 g) of chilies Trim the caps and chop roughly, seeds included. Leave them in rounds if you want more texture.
2. Fry in sesame oil for 2 to 3 minutes Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil over medium heat and fry the chilies two to three minutes. The steam carries capsaicin, so run the exhaust fan.
3. Add miso, sugar and mirin, cook down Add 5 oz (150 g) miso, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons mirin, and stir over low heat until it thickens and turns glossy.
4. Cool and jar Let it cool, pack into a clean jar and refrigerate. Use within a month, and always with a clean, dry spoon.

Handling precautions

Capsaicin burns skin for hours and is agonizing in the eyes. Wear disposable gloves to chop, and do not touch your face while working. Steam from the frying pan carries it too, so ventilate and keep your face back. The hotter the variety, the more these rules matter.

1. Gloves on, then wash twice Use disposable vinyl or nitrile gloves. After removing them, wash with soap twice before touching contact lenses or your eyes.
2. Wash the board and knife at once Fruit cut on a chili board picks up the heat. Wash with detergent right after, or keep a small board just for chilies.
3. Keep out of reach of children and pets Store pods and preserves where children and pets cannot get them. Green chilies look a lot like small sweet peppers to a toddler.

Water alone does not remove capsaicin from skin. Rub your hands with cooking oil first, then wash with soap; the capsaicin dissolves into the oil and rinses away.