When my in-laws lived in Bermuda years ago, a tall bottle of sherry peppers--hot (spicy) peppers steeped in sherry--sat on the sideboard for every meal. I decided to try to make some to give as gifts this Christmas.

I looked up the recipe, which is very simple: Put peppers, cut in half, in a sterilized bottle and fill it with dry sherry. Let it sit for several weeks. My mother-in-law's sherry peppers was never refrigerated as far as I know, but I don't know how long I can expect it to keep. The recipe (I looked up several) doesn't say anything about keeping it covered, though I'd want to do that.

This isn't like canning; no cooking/processing is involved. I imagine the 18% alcohol in the sherry preserves the peppers somehow.

The resulting spicy sherry is added to soup and various other dishes. It's a staple of Bermuda cooking. The only peppers I could find were Serrano and Jalapeño.

The good folks at the Kitchen Table sent me over here to inquire about shelf life and safety. Info and advice is appreciated!