This pickled peppers recipe is quick and easy so you can preserve your pepper harvest, perfect for all kinds of peppers, use them on everything!
Pickled Peppers Recipe
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 a welcomed addition to many a meal. They add a briny, spicy pop of flavor to sandwiches, pizza toppings, salads, and even snacks. I just love them.
If you're like me, you wind up with a huge number of chili peppers harvesting at the same time, and pickling is an ideal way to keep them.
I freeze a lot of them, make lots of sauces and hot sauces, cook them into stews, dehydrate them, so much more, but pickled peppers is certainly a favorite for their versatility.
Let's talk about how to pickle peppers, shall we?
Pickled Peppers Ingredients
- Chili Peppers. You can use any kinds of pepper with this recipe. The amount will vary depending on how you chop them.
- Vinegar. I usually use white vinegar, though others will work, such as apple cider vinegar.
- Water.
- Garlic. For additional flavor.
- Black Peppercorns. You can use many other seasonings. See below.
- Pickling Salt.
- Sugar. Optional, for a touch of sweet.
Pickled Peppers - The Recipe Method
Wash and Dry Your Peppers. Always be sure to wash and dry your chili peppers before pickling them. Also, sterilize any jars and jar lids in a boiling water bath before using.
Bring to a boil a pot of water and boil them on the stove for a half hour, or throw them in the dishwasher for a cycle or two.
Simple Brine. 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.
Pickling Spices. From there, you'll add your own preferred pickling spices, which you can use coarsely chopped or whole.
Typical pickling spices include salt and sugar, Pepper Flakes, All Spice, Bay leaf, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander, Garlic, Ginger, Mustard seeds, Peppercorns, and more.
Pickle the Peppers. Pour the hot brine into the jar, over the peppers, and seal with a tight lid. Cool and refrigerate.
Wait a Week. Let the peppers sit a few weeks before using so they can get nicely pickled, though they are fine to eat right away.
It is best to wait to let the flavors develop. If you can't wait, wait at least 24 hours, then enjoy them.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Use Any Types of Peppers. This recipe works with any types of chili peppers. You can pickle bell peppers and sweet peppers all the way up to superhot chili peppers.
- Select Fresh, Ripe Peppers. It is best to pickle the freshest of peppers. Avoid any peppers that have started to soften too much or show signs of rot or disease. Fresh is best.
Storage Information
Store your pickled peppers in the refrigerator for many months. The pickling process essentially preserves them.
You can store them in your pantry or in a cool, dark place, though you will need to process them in a hot water bath to make them shelf stable. They can last for years this way.
However, once you open them, they will need to be refrigerated.
Using Pickled Chili Peppers
You can chop and stir them into soups or stews, use them as a condiment by topping sandwiches, cook them onto 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.
Additional Resources for Pickling Your Chili Peppers
Additional Resources for Preserving Chili Peppers
Related Pickled Chili Pepper Recipes and More
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 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 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, water, garlic, peppercorns, salt and sugar. Stir.
- Heat and bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
- Pour the brine into the jar, over the peppers, and seal with a tight lid. Cool and refrigerate.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Learn more about pickling peppers here.
NOTE: This post was updated on 9/15/23 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 10/17/15.
Baltic says
Hello,
I'm from Latvia, and over here what is sold in shops as "white vinegar" is 9% acetic acid. This, to me, seems too strong to use for pickling undiluted. Most alternatives - cider vinegar, apple vinegar, etc. - are about 5% or so. What is the strength of the white vinegar you're using in this recipe?
Mike Hultquist says
It is 5%, best for pickling.
Dave says
I live in Spain, and they sell 2 types of white vinegar here - 5% and 10% acetic acid - the latter is usually labelled "cleaning vinegar" or something similar and is great for removing light limescale. Having said that, it is food grade so if it is all you can get just dilute it with water.
Alan Perry says
I know that you can process this recipe after jarring my question is why do you choose not to?
Mike Hultquist says
Alan, mine don't last that long. I eat them up quickly and they last a long time in the refrigerator.
Kathy says
I am planning on trying this recipes. A question, why the sugar? Just curious.
Thank you.
Mike Hultquist says
Just for a touch of sweetness, Kathy. You can skip it if you'd like.
Barbara says
Thanks for the recipe. Glad can store in refrigerator.
Faith says
I used this recipe but I didn’t add the salt! I was a mistake. What should I do now?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Faith, you can reprocess the brine in the pot with the salt, then pour it back into the jar.
Theresa says
How long can the pickled peppers sit in the fridge for - both before opening? and after you've open a jar? Thank you! Very excited to pickle for the first time.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Theresa, they should last a few months easily in the refrigerator, before and after opening. If you want to make them shelf stable for longer term storage, look into water bath processing.
Lynn says
Hi,
We have a lot of dragon roll peppers. I was wondering if I can use the same recipe as the Simple pickling pepper recipe. Also, can I hot bath these so they keep on the shelf? Thank you for the information.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Lynn. Yes, you can use the same recipe. It works for any pickled peppers recipe. Also, yes, you can process them in a water bath. Enjoy!
Roger says
So how long will they keep? (if I do the 15 minute bath)?
Really just looking until following year's harvest.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Roger, if you process them, you can keep them in your pantry unopened a year or longer, as with any canned foods. When you open a jar, then refrigerate.
Sammy says
Will Apple Cider Vinegar also work? Or, it has to be white vinegar?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Absolutely, Sammy. Works great. Enjoy!
Thomas Fahey says
I made a mistake, the first recipe didn't specify pepper CORNS, lol. Not sure if it will be edible but maybe I can rescue it with water. First time, will write back after I do it right.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thomas, peppercorns are better, but pepper will work for flavoring. I adjusted the earlier information to be more specific.
David Sperber says
Hi Mike! Big fan of the website. We've been pickling banana peppers and are now on to batch number 2. Can we re-use the brine from our original recipe or should we make it fresh? These peppers are home grown from the garden so don't want to ruin then if using old brine is not as good. But if there is a more nuanced flavor from aging....
Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
David, you can reuse brine if you want to. Many people do that. It's fine if you keep it refrigerated. You may want to check the acidity if you did a water bath can.
Linda Lewis says
Do you have a safe water bath canning recipe similar to this pickled pepper recipe but also includes cauliflower and green beans? Or just being able to add cauliflower? I’ve picked 365 peppers in one week and need a variety of recipes. Thanks in advance.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Linda, use this page as a starter: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/canning-or-jarring-chili-peppers/