Easy Pickled Banana Peppers
Easy Pickled Banana Peppers are super simple to make and so tasty! Vinegar, mustard seed, celery seed, sugar and peppers are all you need!
AN EASY AND DELICIOUS RECIPE!
My garden finally started producing veggies. I don’t know what was going on but all of my plants were so slow to produce. My only problem now is I feel like all the vegetables are coming in at one time. Like my banana peppers…
These were absolute perfection. They were not sweet at all. It was a nice balance with the vinegar. We are on our third batch already – thank you!
– Desiree
WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE BANANA PEPPERS?
One minute there weren’t any there and it seems like by the time I turned around, there were a ton of them. This was my first year growing banana peppers. I had no idea that they would produce so well. So I figured it would be a good idea if I pickled a bunch of them. I use banana peppers, not just in sandwiches, but in a whole bunch of other recipes (see recipes at the end of this post.)
I wanted a simple recipe and came up with one using ingredients I already had in my pantry. I think this gave the peppers great flavor but it won’t overwhelm the taste in other dishes that I decide to use them in.
ARE BANANA PEPPERS A HOT PEPPER?
Banana peppers aren’t hot at all but pickling them gives them a whole other level of flavor. You can even use these as a substitute for peperoncini in many recipes. I am really pleased with how these turned out. This recipe will make two pints. But obviously, you can double or triple the recipe for more.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- white vinegar – you want to look for distilled white vinegar
- apple cider vinegar – you could use all white vinegar but I think the apple cider vinegar adds an elevated layer of flavor that you don’t get with most recipes
- white sugar – this keeps the vinegar taste from being too overwhelming
- mustard seeds – to me this is a must, ground mustard just isn’t the same and will make your brine very cloudy so go for this extra flavor and buy the mustard seeds
- celery seeds – I think this is what really sets this recipe apart from others, you don’t taste a celery taste really but it adds that little something extra that creates beautiful flavor
- banana peppers – perfect to use straight from your garden!
HOW TO MAKE EASY PICKLED BANANA PEPPERS:
- Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed to a rolling boil.
- Pour brine over peppers to within ½” of the top.
- Wipe off the rim and put lid and ring on.
- Store in the fridge. This makes 2 pints.
- Leave for 1 week or longer to let peppers marinate (if you can wait that long to dig in.)
TIPS FOR PICKLING BANANA PEPPERS:
- These are not shelf stable as-is and must be kept refrigerated. You can also follow proper canning procedures and then process them in a water bath canner if you prefer. Follow the USDA guidelines for proper sterilization and timing. Be sure to verify that the lids have completely sealed down if storing on the shelf. Make sure your banana peppers are fresh and have been rinsed well.
- Keeping the seeds of the banana pepper in or not is personal preference. I usually get most of the seeds out but there are always a few that stay in there and it doesn’t affect taste at all. I don’t fuss too much over that.
- Updated to add: Since I keep getting questions about substituting mustard seed with ground mustard I thought I would answer it here. Ground mustard can be substituted for mustard seed. HOWEVER, it will make your pickling brine pretty cloudy and it will not be the same flavor profile as using mustard seed. Please keep that in mind. For best results, purchase a small bottle of mustard seed.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES:
- Refrigerator Pickles
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- Pickled Red Onions
- Dill Pickle Relish
- Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Crock Pot Beef Dip Sandwiches
- Cornbread Chicken Casserole
- Muffaletta Sandwich
- Italian Melt
- Chow Chow
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Quick Sauerkraut
- Homemade Sauerkraut (Fermented)
Easy Pickled Banana Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 pound banana peppers, tops removed then sliced into rings (see my notes below about the seeds)
Instructions
- Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed to a rolling boil.
- Pour brine over peppers to within ½" of the top.
- Wipe off the rim and put lid and ring on. Allow to cool then put in the refrigerator.
- Leave for 1 week or longer to let peppers marinate (if you can wait that long!)
- You can also follow proper canning procedures and then process them in a water bath canner if you prefer. Follow the USDA guidelines for proper sterilization and timing. Be sure to verify that the lids have completely sealed down if storing on the shelf.
Notes
- Please refer to my post and ingredient list above to answers for the most commonly asked questions.
- If you aren’t sterilizing the jars, keep them refrigerated. They will last up to 3 months in the fridge.
- Ground mustard can be substituted for mustard seed if you absolutely must but it is not recommended at all. It will make your pickling brine pretty cloudy and it will not be the same flavor profile as using mustard seed. Please keep that in mind. For best results, purchase a small bottle of mustard seed – it really makes a difference.
- Keeping the banana pepper seeds in or not is personal preference. I usually get most of the seeds out but there are always a few that stay in there and it doesn’t affect taste at all. I don’t fuss too much over that.
- This recipe makes 2 pints.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Hello! I have leftover brine. What else can I pickle in this particular brine? Thank you!
This was a quick and easy recipe to got done and out of the way because of all the other things we have to can. So it’s and does taste good either way I have done both
Just made a batch! Can’t wait to get past the next week. How long will these last in the refrigerator left sealed or opened? Just curious.
I also added 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric. It gave it a nice color and tasted more like bread and butter pickled sweet banana peppers.
does it turn cloudy cause that sounds good
they are delicious!!
Fantastic recipes don’t ever stop sending them thank you
This recipe is the best!
Easy and delicious pickled peppers!
I just made this recipe and was getting ready to put them in my water bath and realized this is not a shelf stable recipe. Has anyone tried canning this?
Yes, we’ve canned this recipe for 3 years now! Water bath for 11 minutes. We use this recipe for hot peppers. Always turns out perfect!
new to this. do you add salt?
When you say water bath for 11min do you mean after they’re in the jar put the jar in water bath to seal or am I missing a step altogether.
I added a Thai pepper to the batch. This added some heat to the entire jar. Great recipe!
Yum!! Thanks Tom!
Can I use picking spice instead of mustard seed and celery seeds?
You can but obviously that changes the flavor 🙂
thanks, I made them this morning according to you recipe
Can you use ground celery seed instead of the actual seeds
I love the easy recipe and the tastes is so good.
The best I’ve ever made! Hubby says I’m not allowed to make them any other way now lol. And he’s picky!
Absolutely delicious! Huge hit and I will make again for sure. I still got a lot more peppers popping up.
These are amazing and didn’t last very long. Can you reuse the brine with a new batch of peppers?
This worked great for my banana peppers! This was super easy and maintained the pepper’s crispiness with great flavor.
I have some mini cucumbers on hand. Will this brine work well with those?
I haven’t tried it with cucumbers so can’t say for sure. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes for you! 🙂
for some reason my “mild” banana peppers are SUPER hot. will they still be good pickling using this recipe?
Mine are hot also. I think it’s the hot weather. Still pickling them.
Mine were hot also and they turned out delicious!!! Just made more- can’t wait until they’re ready to eat.
I literally never take the time to comment on anything but this is simply amazing. Used this recipe and peppers from my garden and taste so amazing! Love love love this recipe. It’s a must try!
Awww thank you so much Erika! That really means so much!! It means more than you know to hear form folks when a recipe turned out good!
Can you tell me what size jars you use? This is my first attempt at making these.
They are one pint jars. This makes 2 🙂
Can you sub the white sugar with a natural sugar like , honey, blackstrap, molasses, or maple syrup? I’ve never picked anything before but have cut out all processed sugars since a recent BC diagnosis. I use natural sugars very sparingly as well.
No I’m sorry, I haven’t tried it. Perhaps someone else on here has and can give some guidance on that 🙂
my husband loves these. on second batch. Will do a third in a few weeks. I put up 5 or 6 pints at a time in smaller jars. process 15 minutes in water bath. we will have all winter, and hubby thanks you.
Absolutely the best! My husband and I really loved these!
Folowed this exactly – wouldn’t change a thing. My husband wants me to make more!
My wife and I really enjoyed this. Was skeptical about the sugar as hundreds of others seemed to have mentioned looking back on all the comments – ha! But they were fantastic!! Such a great recipe and I am glad I gave it a try
thank you.
Question: If I pickle some banana peppers, can I just slice and add additional banana peppers to the brine/ jar later? Or is it necessary for always add boiling hot brine over the peppers for successful pickling? I don’t have enough peppers for a full jar, but I’ll have more over the summer. Thanks!
FWIW, I do this with my pickled jalapenos all the time and have never run into issues.
My peppers are coming in slowly. Should I pop them in the freezer until I get enough for the recipe?
Do you put the mustard and celery seeds in the jars also or do you strain them before adding the brine?
It’s like any any kind of pickled vegetable, you always leave it all in so it can soak up the flavors. 🙂
I leave them in 🙂
Turned out great! My husband ate them all already so I’d say the recipe is a hit. Thank you!
Can you leave the peppers whole?
I don’t see why not 🙂
you can but more juice gets in with top removed
Definitely. But I put a simple slice lengthwise through about half of the pepper on one side. It allows the brine to soak into the inside of the pepper.
very easy to make! I did it up at our hunting camp! Big hit with everyone especially with Deer back strap fajita’s. Can I use this same one for pickled garlic?