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
kelly farah-strube says
Excellent recipe! I'm finishing up last of banana peppers and realized Im out of honey, is their a substitute or can I skip the honey this batch?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks! You can skip the honey, or use a bit of sugar for a touch of sweet.
TOG says
I'll be trying your recipe four the first time today... I have pickling vinegar which is 2.5%... Can I use that in place of the white ginger or does it have to be 5% white vinegar???
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
TOG, you should use 5% for pickling.
Veronica P. says
Howdy! Will regular salt/kosher work as well or does it have to be pickling salt? Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Veronica. It is best to use noniodized canning or pickling salt for pickling chili peppers. Table salt often includes non-caking ingredients that can make the pickling brine cloudy and unpalatable. Use salt labeled “canning” or “pickling” salt, or use pure sea salt without any additives.
Mark says
Just wondering why you would need to omit the garlic if you want to process the banana peppers for long term storage?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Mark, you can use garlic. Some people worry about garlic and spoilage.
Kimberly says
Hi Mike,
I'm trying y your recipe today. How long do I boil the banana peppers?
Thanks,
Kim
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Kimberly. Do you mean for water bath preserving? 10-15 minutes is usually long enough, depending on your elevation. If you're talking about actually boiling the peppers in the brine, you really don't boil them. You just add them to the hot brine then jar them. You can also just add them directly into a jar and pour the hot brine over them. Let me know how it goes for you. Enjoy!
Sheri says
Why do you omit the garlic when planning to process the pickled peppers in a water bath? I make a Bread and Butter pickle that contains garlic.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sheri, it's fine to keep the garlic. Some people worry about fresh garlic with pickling. It's all good.
Donna L Pearman says
I plan to try this recipe in the next couple of days, as my pepper plants are producing wildly. I have a couple of questions: (1) if I wanted to use your Pickling Spice Blend with this recipe, how would I substitute it in? (2) what changes would I make if using HOT banana peppers, since I have both versions? I love your recipes and have NEVER been disappointed. The five star rating is awarded in full expectation of yet another winner. Thanks, Michael!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Donna. You can use 1-2 tablespoons of my pickling spice blend recipe per quart of brine as a substitute. Also, you can do the same process for hot banana peppers as well. It works with any peppers. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy!
Michelle says
I made two pints in September, put them both in the refrigerator (didn't can, just pickled) right away. One has been opened, the other has not. It's now December. Are either any good two months later?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Michelle, yes, pickled foods last quite a long time, especially in the refrigerator.
Jennie says
Oh yeah, this recipe was such a hit in the family! We've had banana peppers coming out of our ears; who knew that two plants would produce so many. Anyway, I made a quart jar of these pickled peppers last week thinking it would last a few months . . . and now I'm making two quarts' worth since, well, the quart jar lasted a whole week. Thanks for a great recipe!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great! Thanks, Jennie!
Kim says
Great recipe! Didn't add the dried herbs or garlic, but pepper flakes, peppercorns, and mustard seed. Didn't have quite enough banana peppers, so added some sliced Shishito peppers for a full pint. Overall flavor reminds me of pepperocini on an antipasto salad, which is what I wanted. Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Kim! Glad you enjoyed it!
Wayne says
Looks like a great recipe, and I want to try it, but I wonder why you say to omit the garlic if I want to water bath or pressure can it. I see many other recipes for sweet peppers that are similar and do use the garlic cloves even when water bathing? I , myself have canned them that way with no ill effects.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Wayne, you can keep the garlic if you'd like. Some people worry that garlic can spoil more quickly and can cause contamination, but you should have no problem. Just leave it in.
Hesthet says
If you want to make pickle banana peppers to use later in the year like in the winter time. Do you do you have a boiling water bath or pressure cookAnd for how long
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hesthet, you can process your jars in a hot water bath for 10-15 minutes to make them shelf stable for longer term storage, or use a pressure canner per your product specifications.