Preserving Your Hot Peppers

Harisa (Hot Pepper Puree)
About 20 hot peppers (they can store well week to week in your refrigerator—save them up!)
6 cloves garlic
2 pearl onions
1 or more tomatoes if desired to make mixture less spicy
Salt
Oil
Canning jars with lids
Mince peppers, garlic, and onions. Cook half of the mixture along with the tomatoes, reducing until it begins to thicken. Let cool. Add remaining peppers, garlic, and onions, along with a large pinch of salt. Pour the mixture into jars, and add oil to cover. Store in a dark cool place.
Traditionally, this sauce accompanies couscous, meat, fish, soups, and other North African dishes.
from: Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning

Drying Hot Peppers on a String
I know that this works very well with cayennes, and does not work with jalepenos or habaneros. I have not yet tried to dry fish peppers. You can either knot a string around the end of each pepper, or sew a thread through each pepper. Hang string in a dry, warm place out of direct sunlight, until peppers are dry. Leave up as decoration, or take down and store in a dark, airtight container. Or crush peppers and use as hot pepper flakes.

Jalepeno Hot Sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
20 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup minced onion
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
In a medium glass or enamel lined sauce pan over high heat, combine oil, peppers, garlic, onion and salt; saute for 4 minutes. Add the water and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. With the processor running, slowly add the vinegar.
Pour into a sterilized jar with a tight lid. This sauce will keep for 6 months when stored in the refrigerator. (www.hotsauceaddicts.com)

Agent Orange Sauce (very hot!)
2 large carrots (1 1/2 cups) peeled & chopped)
1/2 medium red onion (1 cup) peeled & chopped)
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup water
6 cloves garlic (2 tablespoons minced)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarse grain or Creole mustard
12 to 14 habanero chiles, seeds and stems removed (3/4 cup minced)
Combine the carrots, onion, vinegar, water, garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper and mustard in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree the mixture. Add the habaneros and continue to puree until smooth. Pour into sterilized jars or bottles and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.
Yield: About 2 to 3 cups
Recipe courtesy of Michael Stines, Ph.B., Fiery Foods & BBQ, www.CapeCodBBQ.com