Pickled Vallecito Peppers

prized jars of Vallecito Peppers

Normally, my Favorite Finds are foods and places that we can all experience, but in the case of this post, I have to make an exception. These pickled peppers, which are sometimes called Marchand peppers are commonly called Vallecito peppers in honor of the place they are grown: Vallecito California. Vallecito, the place, is in Calaveras County also known as Gold Country. The seeds are available only in the nurseries in the area OR through mail-order catalogs.

I discovered these peppers through my husband’s cousin. He grows them up in his garden in Vallecito along with a variety of other vegetables. And every year, for Thanksgiving, we get a few jars of these peppers that he’s pickled with plenty of garlic and turmeric. The first time I bit into them, my mouth watered from the tart and sprightly flavor and the crispy texture. The peppers are two to three inches long and narrow like a finger with a pointy end. It’s sometimes mild and sometimes a bit spicy. Each pepper is a pleasant surprise and I love them. I have to pace myself so they last all year until we see Matt and Liz again and we can get our precious gifts of peppers. I eat them out of the jar as a snack  or along with my main course as a condiment. I chop them and use them in salads, sandwiches, pizza, tacos and omelets. Pork rinds are DELICIOUS  when dipped in the pickling liquid!
I nearly cried with pride when the baby-geek snatched one from hand and ate it. Even the husband-geek, who is not known to crave chilies like me, loves to munch on the peppers with some salami or other salted cured meats.  You can also braise with them, especially when cooking a rich pork shoulder or a well-marbled chuck roast where the vinegary, spicy punch provides a welcome contrast. The pickling liquid can even be used in the braise.  For fun, I’m now toying with the idea of making a spicy martini with the peppers as a garnish. Much as I love getting the jars of pickled peppers as a present, I’ve been on the look-out for the seeds here in the Bay Area in the hopes of growing a cluster of these beauties in our garden. I’ll keep you posted on my quest.