A quick recipe for making pickled peppers that you can keep in your refrigerator for months. They're perfect for topping sandwiches, tacos, tossing onto pizzas, or munching right out of the jar.
Refrigerator Pickled Peppers Recipe
By now your garden is going INSANE, isn't it? If you have a garden. We do, as you know I've mentioned about a thousand timesby now and I hope you're not sick of me going ON and ON about it. I can't help it! I love my peppers and tomatoes!
But yeah, if you're like me, you have peppers coming out of your ears and you don't know what to do with them all. I think I do more than most people do - obsession, anyone? - but even after all of the hot sauce recipes, salsa recipes, stuffed chili pepper recipes, dehydrating peppers and chili pepper recipes in general, we STILL have a load of chili peppers.
What else haven't we done this year, yet?
PICKLING!
Yes, today we're making pickled peppers and I'm going to show you how easy it truly is. There is even a quick video at the bottom of the post, so be sure to check that out.
Here is a shot of just SOME of the chili peppers we harvested recently. Yeah, we have a LOT.
Pickling Chili Peppers
This particular preserving recipe will keep your peppers a few months in the fridge, hence the name - Refrigerator Pickled Peppers.
I'm foregoing the traditional water bath method of preserving this time because I know that we're going to eat them right away and they won't last more than a couple months anyway.
If we wanted to keep them longer, I would have processed the jar in a boiling waterbath for several minutes and allowed them to seal, then would keep them in the dark pantry to open up during the cold winter months. But not these babies!
I'll let them sit a week or two before opening them, letting the pickling juices permeate the peppers.
I go crazy for pickled peppers. We used to buy pickled jalapeno peppers all the time when we first got married. We would always have a jar in the fridge, but I could never find anything other than pickled jalapenos.
Not a HUGE deal because of my well known #JalapenoObsession, but it is certainly nice to have other pickled peppers.
What Can I Do With Pickled Peppers?
Use pickled peppers to add some zip and zing to any number of foods. Add them as a topping for nachos and tacos, pizza, burgers and hot dogs, sandwiches, so much more!
They're an excellent go-to for extra flavor. Toss them onto your sandwiches. Bake them into your pizzas. Pop them over tacos. Think of dishes like sweet and sour chicken. Heck, eat them right out of the jar.
Making Refrigerator Pickled Peppers - The Recipe Method
The process of making pickled peppers is fairly straightforward. You'll clean and dry your peppers. You can keep them whole, but I like to slice them into rings to fit more into the jars.
If you keep them whole, poke holes into them so the brine can get in. Sterilize your jars and lids.
A popular method for this is to run them through the dishwasher. The hot water will sterilize them. Bring your brine solution to a boil and simmer for minutes. A very basic brine is vinegar and salt, but you have PLENTY of room for additional flavoring elements.
See this post - Pickling Spices for Pickled Peppers. The choice is yours.
Fill the jar with your peppers and pour the hot brine over them, leaving a bit of headspace. Screw on the lids.
At this point, you can process them in your hot waterbath (if doing) or let them cool and pop them into the refrigerator.
You're good to go! Enjoy your pickled peppers!
How Long Do Pickled Peppers Last in the Refrigerator? Storage Information
This will last several weeks in the refrigerator or longer.
This may seem like a lot of peppers, but if you have a decent sized garden like we do, you’ll achieve a yield like this regularly, so it is good to have a few different ways to preserve your chili peppers.
You can also process your pickled peppers in sterilized jars to keep them for much longer.
Learn More - How to Pickle Chili Peppers.
Additional Resources for Pickling Your Chili Peppers
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.
Refrigerator 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.
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 3 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt
Instructions
- Wash and dry the chili peppers. Cut the large ones up into small chunks or slice them into rings. 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 sterilized quart jar.
- To a pan, add all remaining ingredients. Stir.
- Heat and bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Pour the hot brine into the jar, over the peppers, and seal with a sterilized, tight lid. Cool and refrigerate.
- Let the peppers sit a week or two before using so they can get nicely pickled, though they are fine to eat right away. It is best to wait!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Kathy says
the recipe says teaspoon cardamon seeds, is it 1 tsp or did something get left out. can one substitute ground cardamon and then how much
Mike Hultquist says
Kathy, use 1 teaspoon. For ground, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Enjoy.
Sheri says
Can I use ground cardamom instead of cardamom seed?
Mike Hultquist says
Sheri, yes, you can do that. Use about half the amount ground. Enjoy.
Doreen says
Hi Mike, This looks like another FABULOUS recipe that I'm eager to try! My questions is do you simmer the brine for 2 minutes or 20 minutes? The video says 20 but the recipe says 2. Thanks for keeping the HOT and SPICY coming!
Mike Hultquist says
Doreen, 2 minutes is sufficient, though you can simmer longer if you'd like. Enjoy!
Frank says
Thanks, this is a great recipe. I make my own pickled jalapenos and lately I am making my own "spicy pickles" using this recipe. I slice pickles or cucumbers, brine, refrigerate and in 2 weeks they are great.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! Thanks, Frank! Sounds great.
CYNTHIA GODFREY says
I just made these two weeks ago and finally pulled them out of the fridge for a taste test. Wow I love them. It is so nice to have a crisp pickled pepper for a change. I also added cow horn, poblano, and salsa peppers to the mix since I had so many. I added to my salad and WHAM flavor boost. I will definitely make again. Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! I love a good flavor WHAM! Haha, super happy you are enjoying them, Cynthia. Thanks!
Eliot says
The comment from Leo was saying you can cut back on the vinegar . That is interesting , but just how much vinegar is actually needed for 1 quart of peppy ? And if you are making sweet heat and adding sugar does that change the requirements of vinegar?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Eliot, the vinegar acts as the preservative for the recipe. You can replace some of the vinegar with water, but the vinegar is needed for longer keeping, at least half vinegar, though I have not tested this personally. I do make my giardiniera with both oil and vinegar and it lasts quite a while.
Billy says
I'm definitely going to give these a try! Thank you so much for sharing - I love pickled peppers and haven't made them in so long.
REPLY: You are welcome, Billy! -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Nadine says
Hi! Your "Refrigerated Pickled Peppers" calls for 1 tablespoon ginger, but the accompanying video doesn't show it...it shows ground mustard. Is it ok to swap in the mustard? Thanks.
REPLY: Nadine, absolutely. You can swap in/out many ingredients for this type of recipe. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
RainDrop says
Great recipe, thank you! I've used slightly less cardamom pods and added some sugar to balance the flavour.
Georgette says
Well, Leo, a lot of people like pickled foods.... including peppers. If you don't, you can just not pickle your peppers. 🙂
Maryann says
Well I made some jars of them yesterday with my abundant Chili's. I can't comment on the taste yet. But they look gorgeous,So if they aren't good to eat at least I can look at them.
Leo Lessard says
Hi, unfortunately, I have to disagree here with the recipe. If people wanted pickled peppers, then they could go to the store and buy them. What do you get? Take a glass of vinegar and drink it. No Flavor. Remember, a jalapeno tastes like a green pepper with heat and a serrano has a smoky flavor, just to name a few. Pickling takes away the original flavors. I agree, that some, maybe a splash, of vinegar is needed. Vinegar is used for preservation but should not be used for flavor. I have had peppers in jars for years with just a splash. What happens is that the different peppers transfer their heat to each other. They remain crispy and do not "sog" out. By mixing different peppers in the same jar, you can get a multitude of flavors. The serrano's remain smoky and the heats make everyone in the jar, nice and cozy while getting hotter. A splash of vinegar then fill will water. The water keeps them crispy while the vinegar preserves. Most of us love the flavors of the peppers themselves, this ensures that the flavors of the jalapeno, serrano or even the habanero remain. Any more vinegar, destroys that. The pepper then becomes a standard off the shelf pepper jar, not worth anything. I have 22 pepper plants growing. From Serranos, Jalapenos, Bird's Eye, Chile Tepin, Ancho, Ghost, 7-Pot, Tabasco, Scorpion, and a few others. I will not destroy their flavor with vinegar.