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
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!
Jody says
why do you discard the garlic before water bath
Mike Hultquist says
Jody, you can leave it in if you'd like. Some people express worry about botulism from garlic, even though it is pickled.
Olivia says
How much of the ingredients do you use?
Mike Hultquist says
Olivia, all of the exact measurements of the ingredients are listed in the Recipe Card at the bottom of the post, above the comments. Let me know if you can't find it.
Lauren says
This is the best recipe!!! I did this without the garlic and used fresh basil and oregano from the garden. Wow! They turned out great, the recipe was easy to follow, and you can eat them with everything. Excellent recipe, thank you for sharing!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Lauren!
Susan K says
I recently followed your recipe for the pickled banana peppers, and everybody liked them, so 2 pints won’t last long. I’m lucky that my pepper plants are producing really well, so I want to water bath process them so they last longer. My question is, if I do can them that way will they stay crispy like the original refrigerated jar.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Susan! If you process them in a water bath, they can soften from the overall heat of boiling. Try not to boil them for too long, and look into a product called "Pickle Crisp", which can help keep them crunchy.
Michael Brooks says
Hi Mike! I'm fairly new to canning. I just canned and water bathed 8 pints of Hot Banana peppers and followed, the fill the jar with peppers, then pour the brine into the jar to cover the peppers leaving headspace. Now that it is all done and my jars are cooling off on a rack, I noticed the peppers have settled and become compact and are leaving a third of the jar with brine. How do I avoid that. Should I combine the peppers and the brine and bring to a boil before I put the mixture in the jars? I've seen methods to do it both ways. I just don't care to see so much emptiness in my jars. Well not empty but they are not full of peppers.
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, Michael. I've had this happen. It's best to really be sure to pack the peppers into the jar and tamp them down as much as you can. You can also add the peppers to the hot brine first. I've done it this way as well. Let me know how it goes.
Elaine says
do I have to put sugar or honey in? I'm on a very low carb diet and don't eat sugar, etc
Mike H. says
You can skip'em, Elaine. Just adjust to your taste later if needed!
Mike Hultquist says
Elaine, you can skip the sugar/honey, or use a sweetener like Stevia if desired. Enjoy!
Sharli says
This fast, simple recipe has become a favorite! Saving this one for future years.
Mike Hultquist says
Wonderful! Thanks, Sharli!
Nana Kat says
I have a big bowl of banana peppers that have turned red can I still pickle them?
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, you can pickled red banana peppers. They're ripe and delicious.
Rick says
Can I cut my peppers into long spears,in stead of rings
Mike Hultquist says
You sure can, Rick. No problem at all. Let me know how it goes for you. Enjoy!
Amelia Ridenour says
I made these and they are great! However, I have a TON more fresh banana peppers from my garden. Would I be able to just add them to the preexisting jar that I already have? Or do I need to make more brine? Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Amelia, some people do that. It's usually fine, though if you have a lot, you might want to just do another batch.
Hilton says
Why remove the garlic
Mike Hultquist says
Garlic can cause botulism if not handled/processed correctly. You have no worries if you use proper canning/water bath procedures. FYI.
Lois says
Hi,
Just tried your recipe for the pickled banana peppers. I just heated the brine added to jars and water bathed. Hope they turn out! Didnt add any spices so we will see. Was looking for a sweet pickled hot pepper recipe. Anxious to try!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I hope you enjoy it. I'm sure it will be good, but the spices do add some extra flavor. Sweet can be achieved with a bit of honey.
Kamie Lee says
I don’t seem to have enough liquid to cover peppers. I heated up more vinegar and water to finish filling jars. Will that work?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kamie, yes, that will work fine.
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.