Quick & Easy Pickled Peppers

If you’ve got a few minutes to spare in the kitchen and a handful of peppers to use up, here is a simple recipe you can use to create delicious pickled peppers.

Tangy and packed with flavor, pickled peppers are fantastic on sandwiches or in scrambled eggs. Or use them however you would fresh peppers. Since they’ll store in the fridge for several months, pickling is a great way to preserve your harvest.

It’s All About the Brine

Pickling vegetables starts with the basic brine:

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup distilled water
• 2 tbs raw honey (I use this instead of sugar)
• 1 tbs sea salt

This brine will serve any of your pickling needs. Just mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan on the stove. Add heat only to dissolve the salt and honey then let cool before filling your jars. That’s it!

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What Kind of Peppers Are Best Pickled?

Honestly, it’s up to you what kind of peppers to pickle. I like both sweet and hot peppers, but often I’ll mix them both to get a spicy sweet combination.

Banana peppers are probably my favorite, and these are what you’ll usually find on sub sandwiches. They’re simply amazing mixed with jalapenos or Serrano peppers, and their bright yellow coloring will brighten up any dish.

There’s no rule here. Use your imagination. Just make sure your peppers are washed and free from any bad spots, and you’re good to go.

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How To Pickle Peppers

Ingredients for 1 jar:

• 10 or more fresh peppers
• Brine (see above for ingredients)
• 1/4 tsp mustard seed
• 1/4 tsp celery seed

Always use clean, sterilized jars when preserving food. For pickling peppers, I like to use tall pint sized jars, but if I have a lot of peppers I need to use up I’ll pack a couple quart sized jars instead.

Wash and slice your peppers – you can slice by hand or use a food processor. Whatever you do, make sure you wear gloves! Trust me.

Pack your jars – fill your jars with peppers, allowing about an inch of space on tops.

Top with spices – add your celery and mustard seed to the top of the peppers. Sometimes I’ll add dill or other herbs and spices.

Pour on the brine – let your brine cool a little after heating on the stove. Then pour brine into your jars until the peppers are completely covered. With a fork, press down on on the peppers to remove any air bubbles.

Put in the fridge – add a lid and then put in the fridge. Your peppers will be ready to taste in 24 hours. It’s best to let them sit for a few days, but I can’t ever wait that long. They’ll keep in the fridge for several months.

It’s really that simple.