Can I keep chillies in alcohol long term without continuing to affect the flavour?
I want to make jalapeno or habanero infused tequila for a friend's Christmas present. I'd like to leave them in the bottle for presentation.
I've seen recipes only recommend a 24 hour maximum infusion time. Is there a way to leave them in without causing the flavour to develop in undesirable ways from over-infusion? Is over-infusion even possible in this circumstance?
Best Answer
For presentation you could possibly get away with one nice-looking, thin-skinned (and not too hot) red chilli in the bottle, after straining the tequila off the real habañeros. I'd give this a go (or even make 3 small bottles: strained; unstrained; strained with decorative chilli) it if it was for drinking myself, but for a gift I'd probably either:
- say it's for drinking soon, or
- decorate the outside of the bottle with a couple of nice-looking dried chillies tied on.
I have found that in some infused spirits, leaving the fruit in too long can cause unwanted flavours (e.g. rhubarb, which picked up just the vegetable flavour my link warns about) while in others you can leave it as long as you like (e.g. blackcurrant).
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How do you preserve chillies for a long time?
Simply wash and pat dry your chillies, cut off the tops then roughly chop, keeping the seeds in. Next mix the chopped chillies with 30g salt and place in a sterilised glass jar. Cover the surface with remaining salt then seal the jar and store in a cool, dry place for a couple of weeks before refrigerating.Can you preserve chillies?
Chillies freeze reasonably well, retaining most of their flavour and heat. Freezing is the best way to preserve fleshier chillies like Scotch Bonnets and Habaneros. To freeze chillies whole, spread them out on a baking tray so they are not touching, freeze and pop into a sealed bag or container.How do you preserve hot chilis?
The easiest and quickest way to dispatch with a large number of peppers is to douse them in a hot brine to create a quick pickle. Simply heat 1-part water to 1-part distilled white vinegar, season with sugar and salt to taste and pour over sliced chiles. Cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.Can you distill chillies?
Among many other things, one of Alinea's signature techniques involves running thai chilies through a distillation process to produce a clear liquid that has all the flavor of a hot pepper, but none of the actual heat.HOT CHILLI PEPPERS 🌶 Preserved in OLIVE OIL Italian recipe - how to do at home @l'uomo di casa
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Answer 2
If you also are willing to test the drink infusion, I suggest an iterative experimentation. Make 5 smaller batches and test them every day.
If 24 hours is indeed the max, you still have plenty of time to make it before presenting the gift. If a week is good, you will also know. The tinctures that you stop early (assuming they are ok) can always be added back to the final mix...
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