Name: Homemade Pickling Spice Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 Cinnamon Stick (ground or coarsely chopped); 1 tablespoon Allspice berries; 2 Bay Leaves (crushed); 1 tablespoon Cardamom; 4 Cloves (coarsely chopped); 1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds; 1 tablespoon Mustard Seeds; 1 tablespoon Peppercorns; 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger; 1 teaspoon Dill Seeds; 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes ((optional, for heat))

This simple pickling spice recipe is perfect for making pickled peppers or other pickled foods, perfect for quick pickles and canning pickled vegetables.

Easy Pickling Spice Blend

Are you pickling your peppers and other garden grown vegetables this year, my friends? I am! I pickle loads of chili peppers every year, along with several other veggies. 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 pickling spices, 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.

Homemade Pickling Spice with lots of seeds and seasonings

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! See my corned beef seasonings recipe.

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.

How to Use Pickling Spices

Learn how to use pickling spices with the following pickling recipes.

Additional Resources for Pickling Your Peppers or Other Foods

Additional Resources for Preserving Chili Peppers

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.

Homemade Pickling Spice Recipe

This simple pickling spice recipe is perfect for making pickled peppers or other pickled foods, perfect for quick pickles and canning pickled vegetables.

Save Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pickling, preserving, spices

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Calories: 7kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

1 Cinnamon Stick ground or coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Allspice berries
2 Bay Leaves crushed
1 tablespoon Cardamom
4 Cloves coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
1 tablespoon Mustard Seeds
1 tablespoon Peppercorns
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Dill Seeds
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional, for heat)

Instructions

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. Use in any pickling recipe.

Video

Notes

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.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

Use 2 teaspoons of pickling spice for 1 quart of pickled peppers or vegetables, or more for more pronounced flavor development.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 7kcal Carbohydrates: 1g Protein: 1g Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 1g Sodium: 2mg Potassium: 19mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 27IU Vitamin C: 1mg Calcium: 10mg Iron: 1mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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