HARDY PLANTS

Preparing the chilli paste

In September, the peppers start to turn red.
They are picked every 3 to 5 days, depending on the sun.

A Calabrian variety, they are picked red or slightly green. They then turn red quickly, in one or two days.
Fortissimo variety, also Italian.
These grow in bunches. But it’s not so easy to pick: you have to choose the ripe peppers in the middle.
Both varieties are very strong. They can be used fresh, chopped very finely. But if you want to have them all winter long, you’ll need to preserve them.
So we take them home, and first wash and dry them well.
Fortissimo, smaller, on the left. Calabrese on the right.
Then leave them to rest, in the sun if available, or indoors in a dry place, for two or three days.
After two or three days, the chillies are just starting to pucker. They need to dry a little more. As there isn’t enough sun (mid-September), we’ll put them in the dryer.
Beforehand, we remove the stalks. It is advisable to use disposable gloves for this operation, or to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
The peppers are spread out to dry. Remember to clean the trays thoroughly after use, as the spiciness is not visible but remains attached.
Slow drying at 40 degrees for about 12 hours.
No more drying, just blending. But stay as far away as possible, as the scent can cause intense coughing.
Then add salt, 25 grams per 100 grams of chillies, and mix well.
The next step is to drain off the liquid part of the dough. To do this, place a weight on the paste in a sieve for a few hours and leave to rest.
While the paste is resting, the containers are sterilized. Small jars for chili paste in general. 10 minutes in boiling water before use.
Once the paste has drained, add 25 grams of olive oil per 100 grams of chillies and mix well.
You can now fill the jars with a spoon, packing a little at the bottom, but without overfilling, as you need to leave some space at the top.
Finally, we finish filling the jars with olive oil. The chilli paste must be well covered to prevent it coming into contact with the air.
Final detail: remove any air bubbles in the dough. Use a toothpick, for example.
Chilli paste can be kept for over a year without any problems. If the jar is opened, just make sure there’s still enough oil to cover everything. If the oil level drops, you can add more.
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