Brenda, I’m sorry to hear that you encountered bitterness in your canned peppers. To better understand what might have gone wrong, could you please provide some additional details? 1) Did you follow this recipe specifically, or was it a different one? 2) What type of fresh peppers did you use for your canning? This information will help me offer more specific advice and insights to prevent bitterness in the future.

Koni, Unfortunately, frozen peppers would not turn out well using this recipe. Once the peppers are frozen, the cells break down. The pressure canning process will turn frozen peppers into mush. However, you can use previously frozen peppers in sauces and salsa canning recipes. Just be sure to weigh the peppers while frozen to get the proper amount, and then simmer them with the other ingredients as described in the recipe. Here are some recipes for frozen peppers: Tomato Jalapeno Salsa, Zesty Salsa, and Hot Pepper Sauce.

All the safe canning resources I have say to remove the seeds. It is unknown how the seeds may affect the heat penetrating the jar. According to the National Center for Home Preservation, small peppers can be left whole, but it is still recommended that stems, and seeds be removed.