This easy pickled banana peppers recipe delivers crisp, crunchy, sweet banana peppers that are perfect for snacking or topping salads and sandwiches. Learn how to pickle banana peppers with Chili Pepper Madness.
Pickled Banana Peppers Recipe - How to Pickle Banana Peppers
My banana pepper plant went crazy this year and produced a ton of banana peppers. It's difficult to eat them all up before they go bad, so it is best to preserve your peppers in various ways so you can enjoy them after the season has long ended.
Banana peppers are perfect for pickling because they have somewhat thicker walls, which helps them stay crunchy for longer.
Pickling is easy, and while there are various seasonings and ingredients you can add to your pickled peppers, I have a few preferred ingredients, though the recipe is easily adaptable.
About Banana Peppers
Banana peppers are great for growing. The plants are productive, and the peppers are rather mild, measuring in at only 0 - 500 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale.
It's a mild, medium-sized chili pepper with a tangy, slightly sweet taste, much milder than your typical jalapeno pepper. They're similar to Hungarian Wax Peppers.
They're awesome for every day cooking, but especially for pickling, making them quite popular.
Let's talk about how to make pickled banana peppers, shall we? It's super simple!
Pickled Banana Peppers Ingredients
- Banana Peppers.
- White Vinegar + Water.
- Pickling Salt.
- Garlic Clove.
- Honey.
- Pickling Spices. Dried oregano, dried basil, black peppercorns. You can use others to your preference.
How to Make Pickled Banana Peppers - the Recipe Method
- First, slice the banana peppers into ¼ inch pepper rings and discard the stems. If you’d like, you can core out the banana peppers first. I usually do not. Set them aside for now.
- Next, add the vinegar, water, salt, garlic, honey, oregano, basil and peppercorns to a large pan.
- Bring to a boil, then add the sliced banana peppers. It should be somewhat of a rolling boil.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir. Let the mixture cool slightly. You can let the mixture cool to room temperature before pouring into the Ball or mason jars if you'd like.
- Pour the pickled peppers, brine and all, into 1-pint jars or a larger quart jar and screw on the cap.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours before using to develop the flavors, though they can be eaten right away.
Makes 4 cups. Such a great recipe!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Ingredients and Seasonings. I've used a number of my favorite ingredients here to season the banana peppers, but feel free to add others that you love. Do you enjoy mustard seeds or celery seeds? Go for it. Want some dried oregano? Sure thing! A bit of fresh dill? Yes! Or use your favorite store bought pickling spices.
- Best Salt for Pickling Brine. Use pickling salt, kosher salt or pure sea salt for pickling. Most salts will work just find, as long as they do not contain any additives, like anti-clumping agents.
- The Crispness Factor. Your pickled banana peppers will stay nice and crisp in the jar because we're not boiling them or processing them. They may soften slightly, which is natural, but you'll still get that satisfying snap and crunch.
- Vinegar. I'm using a simple white vinegar for this recipe, though you can use apple cider vinegar for a slightly sweeter, tangier version. It works great.
Heat Factor
Mild. Banana peppers are not hot and spicy. However, you can spice thing up by including a hot pepper or two into your pickling mix.
The heat from the hot pepper will permeate your brine and will add heat to the overall mixture. I've made this with a habanero pepper added in and the whole batch had a nice heat level.
How Long Do Pickled Banana Peppers Last? Storage Information
Pickled banana peppers will keep at least a month or longer in the refrigerator, often 6 months or more. Store in the fridge.
To preserve them for longer, process the jar through a water bath for 15 minutes (20 minutes above 6,000 feet elevation, according to USDA guidelines).
Cool, then store in a cool, dark place. Processed peppers can last 2 years or more, though once opened, they should be refrigerated.
Learn more about How to Pickle Chili Peppers, including more detailed information on processing and jarring for longer term storage.
5 Ways to Serve Pickled Banana Peppers
Quick pickled banana peppers are perfect for adding a bit of salty, tangy crunch to many meals. Here are some suggestions for serving them up:
- Chop them up and serve them on top of a sandwiches
- Spoon them over a Greek salad - or any salad - for a bit of crunch and tang
- Use them as a pizza topping
- Top your grilled sausages or hot dogs with pickled banana peppers
- Eat them out of the jar as a simple snack
That's it, my friends! That's how you make easy pickled banana peppers. It's such an easy recipe, right? Crazy easy, and you can enjoy them in so many ways! I love that. Pickled peppers on anything. Let me know how you like them!
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. 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 Banana Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 6-7 banana peppers or as many as you can fit
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt
- 1 clove garlic smashed (or more as desired)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
- Slice the banana peppers into ¼ inch rings and discard the stems. If you’d like, you can core out the banana peppers first. I usually do not. Stuff them into cleaned/sterilized 1-pint jars or a larger quart jar.
- Add the vinegar, water, salt, garlic, honey, oregano, basil and peppercorns to a large pan or pot.
- Bring the mixture to a quick boil, the remove from heat.
- Cool slightly, then pour the brine into the jars over the sliced banana peppers. Screw on the cap.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours before using to develop the flavors, though they can be eaten right away.
Video
Notes
Pickled banana peppers will keep at least a month or longer in the refrigerator. If you’d like to preserve them for longer, discard the garlic and process the jar through a water bath for 15 minutes (20 minutes above 6,000 feet elevation).
Nutrition Information
Jill Cody says
I don't know what pickling salt is. I used Himalayan pink. And instead of peppercorns, I used black pepper. But these peppers were off the charts, crazy good!
Mike Hultquist says
Great, Jill! Himalayan pink salt is perfect! Cheers!
Jill Cody says
This recipe ROCKS!! These were the absolute BEST banana peppers I've ever had! My whole family loved them.
Recipe says it yields about 4 cups. I don't know how that is possible. Maybe 1.5 cups. But I packed them into the jar. (?)
I would like to keep these on hand 12 months out of the year! I just can't grow enough peppers because everyone was adding them to everything!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad to hear it, Jill! Pepper sizes can vary, which can affect your overall yield. Glad you enjoyed them!
Cheryl says
Can you replace the spices with a pickle spice, such as McCormicks? Thanks
Mike H. says
Yes, sure - let me know how it works out for you, Cheryl.
Sandra J Berg says
it says if you would like to preserve longer to leave out the garlic... there's no garlic in the recipe given???
Mike H. says
Actually there is: 1 clove garlic smashed (or more as desired). Thank you!
Kellie says
Thank you, Mike! I used your perfect recipe with my Hungarian Hots, and everyone loves the hot/sweet flavor! I followed the recipe exactly other than the pepper switch. I think the honey really makes these special. Thank you, thank you!
Mike H. says
you are very welcome, Kellie - enjoy!