Why We Love This Pickled Banana Peppers Recipe
We love making stuffed banana peppers with cheese and sausage. But our other favorite way to enjoy a fresh haul of banana peppers is to pickle them. Today we’re sharing our favorite Pickled Banana Peppers recipe… It’s simple and makes a TON of tangy and delicious banana peppers! You can “can” jars of these peppers in a hot water bath for longer storage, or let them pickle and store in the refrigerator for shorter shelf life. Any way you prepare them, they likely won’t last long! These peppy peppers are delightful to share with friends, snack on by themselves, or pile onto everything in sight.
Banana Peppers vs Pepperoncinis – What’s the Difference?
Great question! Banana peppers are longer peppers and have a waxy, smooth yellow skin. They look like, well, bananas! These peppers are not really hot and have more of a punch-y taste. Pepperoncinis are short and more wrinkly, and a darker yellow-green color. You usually find the whole pepper pickled, and not sliced into rings like banana peppers. The smaller pepperoncins are a bit spicy… Not super hot like a jalapeños, but spicier than banana peppers.
Ingredients You Need
Banana peppers – choose sweet banana peppers or hot banana peppers that are ripe but not overly soft Garlic – whole cloves, peeled Italian seasoning – store-bought or homemade Italian seasoning blend Celery seeds – for a mild earthy flavor that cuts the heat of the peppers Vinegar – your choice of white vinegar, or a mix of white and apple cider vinegar to cut the bite of white vinegar Water – the base of the pickling liquid Sugar – granulated white sugar is best Salt – use coarse kosher salt or pickling salt
How to Pickle Banana Peppers
First, set out 5 clean quart jars, or 10 pint jars. Then wash and drain the banana peppers. Use a mandolin slicer to carefully slice the banana peppers into 1/8 inch rounds. Pro Tip: This is best done with mandolin slicer because it’s fast and slices the peppers very evenly. However, you can also slice them with a chef’s knife if needed. (Be careful, either way!) Stuff the banana peppers in the jars, packing them down if needed so they all fit. If using quart jars, place two garlic cloves in each jar, followed by ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon of celery seeds. If using pint jars, place one garlic clove in each jar with ¼ teaspoon of Italian seasoning and ¼ teaspoon of celery seeds. Set a large pot over high heat. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, and kosher salt to the pot. Stir and bring the vinegar mixture to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat. Ladle (or pour) the hot pickling brine into the jars. Fill them to the top, covering the peppers, but leave ½ inch of room at the very top of the jar. Screw the lids on tight. If canning in a water bath to make them shelf-stable, continue on to official canning procedures. Check out our easy steps for How to Can in this post! If you plan to keep them as refrigerator pickles, allow the jars to cool to room temperature and then place them in the refrigerator. Either way, let the banana peppers pickle for at least 48 hours before serving.
What to do with Pickled Banana Peppers
Oh. My. Goodness. There are SO many fabulous ways to use pickled banana peppers! Well, first off there’s snacking… Pop them straight from the jar into your mouth! One of my favorite things to do with slices of pickled peppers is to add a forkful (or two) onto sandwiches and wraps for a tangy kick. They are delicious on a New Orleans muffaletta, warm and gooey patty melts and pesto sandwiches, Italian-style cheeseburgers or Greek burgers, gyros, veggie hummus wraps and more! They add a significant bit of crunch and pep to salads, too. Sprinkle them onto a beautiful antipasto salad, greek salads, or a Mediterranean fattoush salad. Or even a simple bed of greens and some fresh veggies are perfect for some pickled peppers. And they make a great extra touch on top of, and as a side with, all kinds of other savory dishes. You are going to love our red pepper pizza with pickled peppers. These peppers go well with just about any pizza! I also highly suggest serving them with pepperoni pizza rolls, helpings of Italian beef, or any dish that could use some pizzaz!
Looking for More Easy Pickling Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
Quick Pickled Jalapenos Pickled Green Tomatoes Preserved (Pickled) Garlic Pickled Radish Recipe Pickled Watermelon Rind
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