Portuguese Hot Pepper Paste (massa De Malagueta)

Total Time: 192 hrs Preparation Time: 192 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 lb hot red pepper (wear gloves!) or 1 lb hot red chili pepper, rinsed and patted dry (wear gloves!)
• 1/2 cup coarse salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 -2 tablespoon vinegar (optional)
• 16 ounces jelly jars, sterilized

Recipe

• 1 remove and discard the green caps and stems of the peppers but do not discard the seeds. finely chop the peppers either by hand, or in a grinder or food processor. transfer the chopped peppers to a medium bowl. stir in the salt (and vinegar, if using), mixing thoroughly.
• 2 let the mixture stand in this bowl (covered) for 8 days in the refrigerator, giving the mixture a few turns every day.
• 3 on the eighth day, pack the mixture into a sterlized jar, top it off with 1/2-inch of olive oil and refrigerate.