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.
Terry Wrigley says
Is this recipe safe for canning? (i.e. ph levels?)
We love this as a fridge pepper, but I have so many I'd like to can them too.
Mike H. says
You can absolutely can these, Terry!
Chris says
why do my seeds go black when I pickle my chillies
Mike Hultquist says
Chris, I've never seen this with pickling. I'm wondering if the seeds were turning dark before you pickled them? Were they older peppers? Interesting.
Shelly says
Hi,
I have peppers in the freezer because we had so many. Could I still pickle them?
Mike Hultquist says
Shelly, yes, you can pickle frozen peppers. Freezing makes them pretty soft, and that will translate to the pickled peppers. FYI. But it still works. Let me know how it goes for you.
Rebecca says
A hot pepper relish would be a good way to use your frozen peppers if they're too mushy, as well Shelly!
Mary says
There is a layer of congealed oil on top of peppers why and how do I get rid of it and can I eat the peppers
Mike Hultquist says
Mary, I'm not sure what that oil is or where it came from, as there is no oil in this recipe.
Anna says
Hi there, thank you for the recipe. I've been wondering, would it be ok to pickle hot peppers in white wine vinegar (6% acid), kosher or sea salt and olive oil all mixed together?
Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Anna, you can use oil and vinegar together. I do that with my Homemade Giardiniera Recipe. Check that out here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/giardiniera/ - It is not recommended to home can foods with oil, but you can keep it in the refrigerator. Great stuff!
Sylvia Burgos Toftness says
I used this recipe last fall and it was a huge hit! Thank you. Now, would you have a recipe for sweet and spicy gherkins? I’ve become a huge fan in the last six months and would love to make jars of this coming summer.
Mike H. says
Sylvia, I have this recipe you can try: Spicy Refrigerator Pickles (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/refrigerator-pickles-recipe/). Also, if you are ready to use your gherkins in some other way, here are a couple of recipes that would work for that: Giardiniera Chicago-Style and Italian. Let me know what you think when you try either one.
Carol Pierpont says
Recipe for brine says 2T salt and 2T sugar for1c water and 1c vinegar. Video says 1T salt and 1T sugar for same amount of vinegar and water…confused
Mike Hultquist says
You can really use either, depending on the level of saltiness and sweetness you prefer.
B PANDO says
LOVE HOW YOU GET DOWN ON IT!
YOUR RECIPIE IS CLEAN,CLEAR AND DELICIOUS.
DRY PEPPERS...NEWS TO ME BUT FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
I THINK U GOT SOMETHING THERE.
BUENO
Mike H. says
I bet you will have even more to say once you try this recipe. Go for it!
Scott says
Would brine mixture be good for red onions as well. TIA!
Mike Hultquist says
It would, yes, though I do have a Pickled Red Onions Recipe here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/pickled-red-onions/
Roberta says
great recipe hi
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Roberta!
Sula says
Hello, love your recipes and pepper info, just a little confused on the video you say 1 Cup vinegar and 1 cup water but the recipe says 1 C vinegar 2, 2 C water, which is correct?
Mike Hultquist says
Sula, use 1 cup each. Thanks for alerting me to this.
Rose says
Hi I am new at this. I have 5 lbs of peppers that I want to make. If i refrigerate them for 2 weeks and then put them in the cellar, how long will they last? I am looking to have something to last me all winter and next summer.
Thank you.
Mike Hultquist says
Rose, fresh peppers will typically last about 1 week or longer in the fridge. Pickled will last many, many months. If you pickle your peppers, then move them into a cool cellar, they should last you a good long while.
Jenn says
Hey! Can I put these in a water bath to make theM last longer
Mike H. says
Absolutely! They can last for years that way.
Anita says
Hi Mike,
Your video & picture of ingredients show water. However, water is not listed on the written ingredients list. I'm not sure which is correct! Thanks for your help.
Mike Hultquist says
Anita, I prefer a 1:1 mix of vinegar to water for a less acidic/vinegary brine. You CAN use only vinegar for more acidic/vinegary flavor. I updated the post to my preferred version. Let me know how it turns out for you! Enjoy!
Anita says
Mike, we used all vinegar in pickling some of our hot peppers (after my question) and love the tang along with the heat of the peppers. We later made some with half water. Both are delicious, but I particularly like the all vinegar! We've become used to having jars of refrigerated pickled peppers ready to go! Totally addictive in scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos, nachos, baked potatoes and of course sandwiches. They don't last long in our house HA! We enjoy growing and realy love eating hot peppers any way we can. Your website is filled so much useful information, it is an invaluable resource. Thank you for replying and keep up the awesome job that you do!
Mike H. says
I really appreciate it, Anita. Enjoy the recipes!
EP says
Hi Mike,
In the picture you show honey but in the recipe you say sugar. Do you prefer one over the other and would it still be 2 tbsp if I used honey?
Mike Hultquist says
I personally prefer honey, but either will work. Yep, you can use the same amount. Enjoy!
David Griffiths says
Going to try this soon - lots of peppers in the garden. I don't have pickling salt (it's just a finer salt with no preservatives) but have lots of Diamond Kosher salt. The standard conversion is multiply by 1.5. So 2 tbsp of pickling salt would be 3 tbsp of kosher salt.
Would be good if the author added the weight in grams of the dry ingredients, canning, like baking, is a science!
SANDY says
Love the end of the video! You crunching that chili makes my mouth water!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Sandy!
Carole says
Thank you for the recipes
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Carole!
Keith says
The first batch I've made is gone in a week! Can I re-use the brine (re-boil it) or better to start all over? (probably need to upgrade to the gallon jug of vinegar)
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Some people do reuse their brine, though only once or twice. Then it's really best to make a new batch.
Katrina says
I reuse the brine when I make rice. Substitute half the the water with brine and cook as directed. Makes a great flavored rice. Although the recipe I use calls for equal parts of white vinegar and water.
Carol says
Quantity of different spices. How many peppers and how many ch vinegar
Mike Hultquist says
Carol, all of the exact measurements of the ingredients are listed in the Recipe Card at the bottom of the post, above the comments. Let me know if you can't find it.