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We love pickled vegetables! They add extra zip and zest to burgers, hearty potatoes, and salads! Try out our Pickled Purple Onions, Pickled Mini Peppers, and Canned Dill Pickles this summer!
Pickled Banana Peppers
Banana peppers grow easily in zone 8, and when your cousin brings you a gallon bag of hand-picked banana peppers, you do something with them.
We have a huge garden of our own, so I’m constantly looking for easy ways to preserve the summer harvest.
My Mennonite friend has given me a recipe for pickled jalapeno peppers that were absolutely delicious, crunchy, and so good. I found out that it was a refrigerator pickling recipe and had it saved for that.
Needless to say, I needed to do something with the gifted banana peppers. My cousin mentioned I could use the brine from any jar of pickles to pickle banana peppers, but I didn’t have an open jar of pickles, so I thought I’d use my friend’s simple pickling recipe, originally for jalapeños.
Interestingly, I had a jar of store-bought banana peppers and saw that they too had a very simple list of ingredients, mainly salt, water, and vinegar.
So, I made the brine, added the banana pepper slices, and put them in the fridge. They turned out so amazing! I needed to share the recipe on the blog! You can forget about the store-bought stuff and make it in just a few minutes!
In case you’re wondering how long pickled banana peppers keep, my friend said the pickled jalapenos stay in this very same brine all year long. I’m a fan of pickling this way!
Are Banana Peppers Spicy?
Banana peppers are mild and tangy in flavor; they are not hot peppers. Pickling them in a salt brine makes them zesty and so crunchy!
Mise en Place
Equipment:
- 1/2 gallon jar and leak-proof lid.
- One fermenting weight (to keep the banana peppers under the brine)
- Cutting board and a sharp knife
- Saucepan and wire whisk
Ingredients for Pickled Banana Peppers:
- Banana peppers, about 15 or a gallon bag full.
- Water– this recipe works perfectly for this many banana peppers; if you have less, cut the recipe in half.
- White distilled vinegar– with 5% acidity
- Salt– I used Redmond real salt. I will say some sediments didn’t dissolve from this mineral salt so I just left those undissolved particles out.
- Garlic Cloves– use 3 large cloves or multiple little ones to compensate.
How To Pickle Banana Peppers:
This pickled banana peppers recipe is so easy to make at home and requires no canning or fancy equipment!
- Make the pickling brine first, as it needs to cool down. I bring the water, vinegar, and salt to a boil and stir until most of the salt dissolves. Cool it down to room temperature before combining it with the banana peppers.
- Meanwhile, wash the banana peppers and slice off the tops (discard). Cut banana peppers into 1/8-1/4″ thick slices.
- Pack the sliced banana peppers into a half-gallon jar. When the brine is at room temperature, pour it over the banana peppers and place a weight over the top to submerge the peppers under the brine.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Pickled banana peppers last for months as long as they’re submerged in the saltwater brine.
Tips for Pickling Banana Peppers:
- Cool the brine before adding it to the banana peppers; this will keep them crisp and crunchy. Pouring a hot brine over the peppers can make them softer.
- I prefer pickling banana peppers over canning them, as they get very soft from water bath canning.
- Typically, I leave the banana pepper seeds in to make prep go by more easily. I will remove the seeds from some of the rings closest to the cap, as the seeds seem thickest there.
- Feel free to add dill, mustard seeds, minced dried onion, or grape leaves to get a refrigerator pickle taste.
Q&A
When To Pick Banana Peppers?
Banana peppers are ready to pick once they turn yellow. If you let them ripen more, they will turn red and can be sweeter in flavor. They have reached their mature size once they are 4-7 inches long. Most banana peppers are ready to harvest 60-70 days after planting.
Pepperoncini vs Banana Peppers:
Pepperoncini peppers are very similar to banana peppers; however, they mainly differ in size and tanginess. Banana peppers are longer and curved, resembling a banana, whereas a Pepperoncini pepper is short and slightly spicier than a banana pepper.
More Pickling Recipes To Make:
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Pickled Banana Peppers
Equipment
- 1 funnel
- 1 Cutting board and a sharp knife
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 15 banana peppers
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- 3 Tbsp salt
- 3 cloves garlic
Instructions
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil and stir to dissolve the salt. Cool down to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, wash the banana peppers. Cut 1/8-to 1/4-inch thick slices, discarding the stems. Pack them into a half-gallon jar. I leave the seeds in.
- Peel and chop up garlic or slice it in half. Add the garlic to the sliced banana peppers.
- When the pickling brine has cooled to room temperature, place a funnel over the jar and pour the liquid in. Place a weight over the peppers to keep them submerged under the brine. Keep refrigerated.
Notes
- Pickled banana peppers can keep for months as long as they are under the brine.
Nutrition (per serving)
Tried this recipe?
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