Homemade Pickling Spice Recipe

This pickling spice recipe is perfect for making pickled peppers or other pickled foods. Includes variations and a discussion of different pickling spices.

Are you pickling your peppers and other garden grown foods this year, my friends? I am! I pickle loads of chili peppers every year, along with several other foods. Pickling is a great way to preserve your peppers so you can use them throughout the year, but also because of the flavor.

Pickling uses a salty brine to preserve your foods, which imparts a tasty tart-vinegary punch, but you can really upgrade that flavor with a great Pickling Spice combination.

Pickling spices help give your preserved pickled peppers, pickled vegetables and other pickled foods an additional, multi-dimensional flavor. A typical pickled pepper recipe consists of chili peppers, of course, with a salty vinegar brine and pickling spices added in.

While you can certainly pickle your peppers and other foods without the pickling spice, it is that combination of spices that brings nuance and flavor to your final product.

There are many spice blends available to you, depending on your personal tastes, although some go better in combination with others. There is no right or wrong combination. It is up to you to choose which flavors mingle best and what suits your personal palate. 

There are so many ingredients you can use to make your own. I've included a recipe for you, but feel free to adjust ratios and use your favorites to customize your own pickling spice to your own palate. Play around with ingredient mixtures. Experiment. You may just find the next best pickling spice recipe ever.

Let's talk about how to make your own pickling spice recipe, shall we?

Homemade Pickling Spice Ingredients

Typically, pickling spices are used whole or coarsely chopped, and include any combination of some of the following spices:

• Allspice Berries
• Bay Leaves
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon Sticks
• Cloves
• Coriander Seeds
• Dill Seeds
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Mace
• Mustard Seeds
• Peppercorns (black peppercorns, white, pink)
• Dill Seeds
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

This is not an exhaustive list. Again, it depends on your own palate and preferred flavors. You'll get a stronger flavoring with a pickling spice combination, and of course vary up the ratios to your liking. There are also pre-packaged pickling spice mixes available in many grocery stores as well, or you can order one online.

However, it is so much more fun and interesting to make on your own. You'll never get that combination anywhere else.

How to Make Pickling Spice - the Recipe Method

Grind or Crush Larger Ingredients. If using cinnamon sticks or bay leaves, crush them up with a mortar and pestle into small pieces or use a spice grinder.

Combine. Mix to combine your chosen ingredients in a small bowl. 

Store in an Airtight Container. Store your pickling spice mix in a sealed, airtight container like a glass jar and keep in a cool, dark place. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Aside from pickling vegetables, try this combination to make corned beef!

How Long Does Pickling Spice Last? Storage Information

Your homemade pickling spice blend will last for a year or longer, though it is best when used within the first month. After a month, the seasonings begin to lose potency and flavor. I usually only make just enough that I need for the batch that I am making.

How Much Pickling Spice Should I Use?

Use 1-2 teaspoons per 1 quart batch of pickled foods, such as pickled peppers, pickles, pickled radishes, or others. You can use more for a more pronounced flavor of spices.

Try Some of These Pickling Recipes

• Refrigerator Pickled Peppers Recipe
• Pickled Jalapenos
• Chile-Cucumber Chow Chow
• Sweet Chili Pepper Relish
• Hot Pepper Relish
• Green Tomato Relish
• Cajun Pickled Peppers
• Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
• Get Pickled Pepper Recipes here.

Additional Resources for Pickling Your Peppers or Other Foods

• How to Pickle Chili Peppers - A Guide
• Pickled Chili Peppers - Further Information

Additional Resources for Preserving Chili Peppers

• How to Preserve Chili Peppers
• Preserving Chili Peppers - Section

Related Pickled Chili Pepper Recipes and More

• Refrigerator Pickled Peppers Recipe
• Chile-Cucumber Chow Chow
• Sweet Chili Pepper Relish
• Hot Pepper Relish
• Pickled Carrots
• Pickled Banana Peppers
• Refrigerator Pickles
• Pickled Red Onions
• See all of my Pickling Recipes

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.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 8/13/21 to include new photos, video and information. It was originally published on 10/15/15.