Two publications have recently been revised by Linda J. Harris, Food Safety and Applied Microbiology Specialist in the Department of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis. "Peppers—Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy," Publication #8004 and "Garlic—Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy," Publication #7231. The electronic version of these publications are available on the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) Communication Services Web Site at "http://danrcs.ucdavis.edu" They are also available at our office, 733 County Center III Ct., corner of Scenic and Oakdale Roads. in Modesto. The one-page "Garlic" publication is FREE. The 14 page "Pepper" publication is $1.00.

The "Garlic" publication discusses all aspects of garlic. Topics include: What is garlic? a botulism warning; buying garlic; harvesting garlic; storing garlic; peeling garlic cloves; roasting garlic; freezing garlic; drying garlic; canning garlic; storing garlic in wine or vinegar; storing garlic in oil; and our office's most commonly asked question about garlic: Why did my garlic turn blue?

The answer is: Garlic contains anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments that can turn blue or purple under acidic conditions. This is a variable phenomenon that is more pronounced for immature garlic but can differ among cloves within a single head of garlic. If you grow your own garlic, be sure to mature it at room temperature for a couple of weeks before using it.

The "Pepper" publication covers a discussion of the pungency; safety tips for preserving peppers; storing fresh peppers; freezing peppers either plain or roasted; drying peppers including sun-drying, air-drying or dehydrating; pickling peppers; canning unpickled roasted peppers; and storing canned and pickled peppers. This publication also includes recipes for sweet pickled peppers; hot pickled peppers; hot chili salsa; marinated peppers; pepper relish; pepper jelly; and apricot pepper jelly.

Peppers have grown in popularity in recent years, and a wide variety are now available in neighborhood grocery stores. Native to the Americas, most varieties belong to the Capsicum annuum species. Almost all peppers turn from green to yellow, orange, red or purple when they are fully ripe. Green bell peppers are often harvested before they are ripe and are usually less expensive because they can better withstand transport and tend to last longer.

Peppers range in pungency from the sweet bell to the fiery habanero. The chemical substance that makes some peppers hot is capsaicin (pronounced "kap-'say-i-sin"). Each type of hot pepper has its own distinctive flavor and level of hotness.

When pickling or canning peppers, it is important to follow recipe directions carefully. Peppers preserved improperly at home have caused botulism.

You can have fun with our hot chili salsa recipe. In this recipe you start with 5 lb. of tomatoes. The tomatoes can be fresh or canned. Last winter I made a batch from canned tomatoes for gifts. The salsa was delicious!

This recipe is formulated by weight. Be sure to weigh out the ingredients, don't guess. To the tomatoes you can add up to (but not more than) 1 lb. onions and 2 lb. of peppers. You can use any peppers that you like, so you can adjust the hotness to your personal taste. For a very mild salsa, substitute bell peppers for hot peppers. Then add 1 cup 5% vinegar, 3 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. You can adjust the salt and pepper to suit your taste.

Chop or coarsely grind onions and peppers. Peel tomatoes, if desired, and chop them into small pieces. Add onions, peppers, and other ingredients to chopped tomatoes. Heat to simmering; simmer 10 minutes. Pack into clean pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth and secure lids and ring bands. Process pints in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (20 minutes from 1000–6000 ft. altitude and 25 minutes above 6000 ft altitude).