It is VERY old school and by today's standards it wouldn't be considered safe at all, not even close. Sorry.

If you were using 100% vinegar in the jars it would be more safe. Not ideal of course, but safer than what you are doing now anyway. But you are using a 1:1 vinegar to water solution, which is the minimum allowed even when the jars are processed. And since you are eyeballing the 1/2 & 1/2 it may not even be 1:1. Back when the 85 year old guy first started doing it vinegar was much stronger, 10-15% or more. Today it is 5%. That is 5% acid and 95% water. To that you have added the same amount of water thereby cutting the acid level to 2.5% or less. See the problem?

So what to do with them?

Since botulism has no taste or smell or color there is no way to know if it is there or not.

If there were any c. botulinum spores present they have had plenty of time to grow and produce toxins in the jars.

Unprocessed foods require that the jars at least be sterilized before use and yours weren't.

Since the jars were not processed and vacuum sealed, and haven't even been exposed to any heat, there has been air in the jars for bacterial growth and toxin production. And yes, c.botulinum can survive in even a low O2 environment.

You added fresh garlic (which in the top 5 for c. botulinum) and some fresh herbs to the peppers. Since the peppers are already low-acid, those additions made the mixture even more low-acid.

Since these would likely be eaten without further cooking which would at least destroy any toxin, the risk is increased.

The "official" recommendation would be to dispose of the peppers, unopened jars and all, to avoid further contamination. But the choice between doing that and accepting the degree of risk associated with eating these is yours to make.

A middle of the road compromise, which still has some associated risks and isn't recommended in any official manner, is to dump them all into a large pot and boil them for 10-20 mins. Then spoon the cooked peppers into freezer containers and freeze them.

I can only tell you what I would do. I am a conservative low-risk canner and have been for over 40 years. The level of risk with these is far too high for my comfort. I would pitch them and consider it a lesson learned the hard way.

Dave

lkpips,

The only exception I would take with the advise Dave gave you is this:

Since you did not process your jars, you did not create an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment, so that botulism is not very likely to grow.

However, as you discovered, other bacteria/yeast/molds CAN grow happily in your jars, and thus you see one jar with a potential bacteria or yeast bloom--the one with the white stuff in it.

Others may also contain bacteria who are comfortable with a modestly high acid environment, and you may see more bloom with bacteria over time. These, also, would need to be thrown away without eating.

As for eating the rest of the jars, I don't think I would, even if they showed no sign of spoilage, as the jars could contain spoilage organisms that were not evident to the naked eye but were nevertheless present.

Also, on the off chance that you were somehow able to produce an anaerobic environment in one of the jars, and your acid water mixture was too much water and not enough acid, then any botulism could grow. I feel that the chance is low, but the consequences of botulism are SO HIGH, that why risk hospitalization for pickled peppers.

Bear in mind that if you use modern, standard water bathed techniques, the peppers will NOT be crisp like your friend's peppers. You may be disappointed with the texture unless you use calcium chloride/Pickle Crisp (available from Ball on their web site and in sometimes in stores' canning sections), or unless you use lime ( directions for safe use found at the National Center for Food Preservation web site).

Personally, I would pitch the jars. Hate to lose the time and work and produce, but would hate to get sick even more.

Sharon

Wow....or should I say damnnn! LOL I had a feeling I would get this feedback. I appreciate the comments. And I agree its not worth the risk. I was hoping I can heat the jars now to save them. I mean there is a chance they are fine, but not worth the risk. My friend actually does like 20+ half galleon jars like this with no issues for years. Luck huh?

So you are suggesting to even toss the glass jars too??

So you are suggesting to even toss the glass jars too??

That is the official guideline yes. It is to prevent any further contamination.

But - it isn't what I do. If I have something fail I carefully bag and dispose of the contents and the lids and bands then boil the jars for 20 mins. in a 10% chlorine bleach solution. JMO and it is your choice.

If your friend is using half gallon jars then his risk is even higher and yes, he is relying on a great deal of luck with a capital L. They aren't approved for any food preservation except high acid juices.

Dave

Since the peppers aren't processed (in other words, they aren't actually "canned") I'm not sure the size of the jar makes that much difference except to the degree that the vinegar solution doesn't penetrate to the center of the product. That is another risk with raw-pack like this.

It's all a matter of the odds, so I guess it depends on how much of a gambler you are.

For what it's worth, I would do the same thing as Dave regarding the jars. However, if doing this inside the house I would be extremely careful to avoid splashing surfaces and do a good clean-down after finishing.

Carol

I really do appreciate all of your comments. I will follow these instructions, toss all of the jars and then clean the area on my counter where they were storing with bleach.

So I am gonna buy a pressure canner now and follow the right and safe way. Its a terrible feeling after raising 35 pepper plants which are still producing and making 12-15 quart jars of beautiful peppers and then toss them. But I wont risk getting sick.

I'm gonna chk out that Ball book as well since I only have interest in canning peppers, I am sure it is an easy protocol to follow. I read pressure canners is better that water baths since it gets to a higher temp.

So if I follow that method, then all should be safe then.

I actually just completed a harvest 2 days ago and I have been reading all of this since and I didnt know what to do with them. SO I just washed them and placed them in the fridge for now.

Maybe I will just roast or grill those for now. And my supplies will be here when its time for my next batch.

I also heard if you do not have a pressure canner, you can simply sterlize your jars by boiling them and then jar your peppers in 100% vinegar and place them straight in the fridge. Anyone heard of that? Also what is the purpose of boiling the actual solution of vinegar and water?

OK, you have several options.

1. If you want to pickle your peppers, refrigeration in 100% vinegar is fine.

2. The other option is to pickle, add a crisping agent like pickle crisp, if desired, and boiling water bath. You don't need to pressure-can pickled peppers. Just follow an approved recipe and method. Check the link for some options.

3. Buy a pressure canner and can roasted peppers plain.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP Vegetable Pickles

Ahh ok. So water bath is sufficient then for what I am doing? It will kill any spores or at least provide the proper seal?

What is this pickle crisp?

Ahh ok. So water bath is sufficient then for what I am doing? It will kill any spores or at least provide the proper seal?

Please don't misunderstand the important points Carol made. A BWB is sufficient IF you used one of the approved recipes she linked at NCHFP. It is NOT sufficient if you continue with the mixture you are using now. Bottom line - use an approved and tested canning recipe and follow its instructions.

A BWB does not kill spores. But a proper vacuum seal PLUS the right level of acid in the jars prevents them from growing and producing toxin.

Pickle Crisp is a firming agent made by Ball and used in canning and pickling. A search here will pull up 50+ discussions about it or you can Google it for info and where to buy.

OK?

Dave

Along the same lines, I'm looking for advice on a crock pickle recipe from my mother and grandmother. You put small cucs in crock, add vinegar, pickeling spices, etc. Add sugar daily until they reach the taste you like. Mom used to just put in jars with rubber seal. I assume would be unsafe. If I process into pints in hot water bath, how long processing time, and should I add pickle crisp? Will they taste differently because they were processed? Thanks in advance!!!

It would probably be best to start a fresh thread for your inquiry before we discuss this. It's a different topic and with this search engine would get "lost" for any future searchers with a similar issue.

Also, we really have to have the specific instructions, amounts, ingredients, etc. before we can advise one way or the other.

Carol

Thanks again for all your comments and advice! I really appreciate it!

I would recommend "The Joy of Pickling". Many recipes for peppers in there, both processed and ones to store in the fridge, most using the natural fermentation method but some using vinegar.
I made two batches of pickled pepper sauce this summer. One with a vinegar brine and one fermented with yogurt starter and brine. I like the fermented better.