Pickled Peppers
A quick and easy recipe for pickling your chili peppers so you can preserve them throughout the year. Enjoy them on anything. Perfect for any type of chili pepper.
Pickling peppers is one of the most popular and traditional methods of preserving your chili pepper harvest. I’ve pickled so many peppers over the years, I can hardly count, and I’m always happy to have them around.
Pickled peppers of any type are welcomed to many a meal.
Using Pickled Chili Peppers
You can chop and stir them into soups or stews, use them as a condiment by topping sandwiches, cook them into pizzas. Go crazy, really. I prefer pickling a variety of chili peppers, though you can keep one type all to itself in its own jar.
Pickled jalapenos, anyone? Yeah! Jalapenos are crazy popular any time of year.
This truly is a quick and easy recipe.
Pickled Peppers – The Recipe Method
Always be sure to wash and dry your chili peppers before pickling them. Also, sterilize any jars and jar lids before using. Boil them on the stove for a half hour, or throw them in the dishwasher for a cycle or two.
The basic steps for making pickled peppers include chopping your peppers, then bringing a seasoned brine solution to a boil. The brine consists of vinegar and salt.
From there, you’ll add your own preferred pickling spices, which you can use coarsely chopped or whole. Typical pickling spices include All Spice, Bay leaves, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander, Garlic, Ginger, Mustard seeds, Peppercorns, and more.
See my Pickling Spices for Pickled Peppers page.
Below is a super easy recipe to get you going. Add in whatever pickling spices you prefer.
Pickling your chili peppers is a great way to preserve your chili pepper harvest. Here are a couple of pickling recipes to help get you started:
Simple Pepper Pickling Recipe
This is a bit like you’ll find in Mexican restaurants. Great when you want to serve the peppers as a side dish or at a picnic, especially if you like spicy carrots like I do.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound chili peppers, quartered
- 1 pound sliced carrots
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
- 2 cups white vinegar (or enough to cover the peppers)
- Dash of your favorite hot sauce
Directions:
- Bring the white vinegar to a boil in a small pot.
- Add the sliced carrots, boil 10 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Pour Contents into a jar (or several jars), screw on jar lid, and let cool.
Refrigerate.
Pickled Chili Peppers – Another Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound chili peppers
- 3 one-pint jars with lid (sterilized)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp fresh garlic, chopped
- dash of basil
- dash of oregano
- dash of thyme
- Boiling brine solution (1 pint 5% vinegar, 1 pint water, 2 tbsp sugar, 5 tbsp salt)
Instructions:
- Poke a small hole in each jalapeno, then blanch for 4 minutes in boiling water. The holes will keep the peppers from collapsing.
- Add the peppers to the jars.
- Before the peppers cool, add onion, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, and olive oil.
- Pour in boiling brine solution. Ideally, you will have this mixture begin to boil as you begin to blanch your peppers.
- Cap the jar tight and boil in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool and store in a cool, dark place.
NOTE: You can skip the additional boiling in step 5 if you keep your pickled peppers in a refrigerator. It is best to boil, however, for longer term storage outside of the fridge.
Additional Resources for Pickling Your Chili Peppers
Additional Resources for Preserving Chili Peppers
Related Pickled Chili Pepper Recipes and More
- Refrigerator Pickled Peppers Recipe
- Pickled Banana Peppers
- Pickled Jalapenos
- Taqueria-Style Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots
- Chile-Cucumber Chow Chow
- Sweet Chili Pepper Relish
- Hot Pepper Relish
- Cajun Pickled Peppers
- Green Tomato Relish
- Pickled Carrot Sticks
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Pickled Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups chili peppers - you can use any type of pepper here. The amount will vary depending on how you chop them.
- 1-1/2 cups white vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 3 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons pickling salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Wash and dry the chili peppers. Cut the large ones up into small chunks. Any small peppers you can leave whole, but poke holes in them to the pickling solution can enter the peppers. Pack them all into a cleaned quart jar.
- To a large pot, add vinegar, garlic, peppercorns, salt and sugar. Stir.
- Heat and bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 2 minutes.
- Pour the hot brine into the jar, over the peppers, and seal with a tight lid. Cool and refrigerate.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Learn more about pickling peppers here.
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