Canning Green Chiles
Home canned Hatch green chiles put roasted, peeled chile in your pantry ready for enchiladas, chile verde, soups, and eggs all year. This is a pressure canning recipe following the USDA and NCHFP process for plain peppers, safe in half-pint or pint jars only.
Servings: 64 Servings, Makes 9 Pints
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
Ingredients
- 9 lbs green chiles Hatch, Anaheim, or another mild roasting chile
- boiling water to cover, about 1 inch headspace
- canning salt optional, 1/2 tsp per pint or 1/4 tsp per half-pint
Instructions
- Roast the Chiles: Wash and dry the chiles, then cut a small slit in the side of each one so steam can escape. Roast under a broiler or in a hot oven at 400 to 450 degrees F, or over a grill or gas flame, turning often, until the skins blister and char all over.
- Steam and Peel: Move the roasted chiles to a bowl or pan and cover with a damp towel to steam for a few minutes, which loosens the skins. Wearing gloves, peel off the charred skins and remove the stems, cores, and seeds. Leave the chiles whole or cut them into pieces.
- Process: Load the jars into a pressure canner with 2 to 3 inches of hot water. Vent the canner for 10 minutes, then process half-pints or pints for 35 minutes at 10 lbs pressure in a weighted gauge canner or 11 lbs in a dial gauge canner, adjusting for altitude. Green chiles are only safe canned in half-pint or pint jars, never quarts. Turn off the heat and let the canner depressurize naturally before removing the jars.
Notes
This recipe follows the USDA and National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) process for canning plain peppers, also published as New Mexico State University Extension Guide E-308 for green chile. Peppers and chiles are low acid, so they must be pressure canned and are only safe in half-pint or pint jars, never quarts. Do not shorten the processing time, lower the pressure, or add oil, thickeners, or other vegetables to the jar. Salt is optional and for flavor only. Skip salt substitutes in the jar, since heat can turn some of them bitter or metallic. Add a substitute at serving instead.
Yield: About 9 pounds of fresh chiles fills roughly 9 pints, or an average of 1 pound of chiles per pint. A pint holds about 2 cups of peeled chile. Yield varies with how meaty the chiles are and how tightly they pack.
Storage: Properly processed and sealed jars keep for about 12 to 18 months in a cool, dark place, though they stay safe longer. Discard any jar with an unsealed lid, an off smell, or signs of spoilage. Refrigerate after opening and use within 3 to 4 days.
Altitude Adjustments: Processing time stays the same at all altitudes, and only the pressure changes. In a dial gauge canner, use 11 lbs at 0 to 2,000 feet, 12 lbs at 2,001 to 4,000 feet, 13 lbs at 4,001 to 6,000 feet, and 14 lbs at 6,001 to 8,000 feet. In a weighted gauge canner, use 10 lbs at 0 to 1,000 feet and 15 lbs above 1,000 feet.