Foodie-Cro's Pickled Chillis.

I don't know why, but this year French supermarkets seem to have run out of jars of pickled chillis. Did last year's world-chilli-crop fail? As an addict I find this unacceptable, so I'm having to produce my own.

I buy these biggish, reasonably hot, green chillis from my supermarket at about €2 per kilo. The preparation is child's-play. I do about one kilo at each go.

Cut off the stems, slice halfway down one side, and carefully remove most of the interior seeds with a small spoon. Then when washed and dried, sprinkle with salt (about a serving-spoon full), and cover with a clean cloth. I stir them around about twice each day as they release water. After 4 days wash them thoroughly to remove the salt, pack into a suitably sized jars, and cover with vinager. I also add about 2 tablespoons of sugar. After about 1 or 2 weeks they are ready to eat; but don't keep them too long.

As with all preserves it's wise to keep an exact record of your quantities, then for your second batch you'll know what to add more, or less, of. The same goes for 'Grandma's and Eggs'.