The Best Pickled Peppers You’ll Ever Eat!

Pickled peppers.

Unless I was doing tongue twisters to prepare for a voiceover, the words pickled peppers never came out of my mouth. Then, I tasted my brother Bernie’s pickled peppers and was smitten. I couldn’t believe they could be so perfectly crisp, and taste so delicious. I even liked the spicy, hot ones, a minor miracle for my wimpy tastebuds. I begged my brother to tell me when he would be making another batch so I could witness the magic as it happens.

I was thrilled to get a text from Bernie this week saying peppers were going to be pickled on Wednesday, and if I wanted to learn, I should come over. (My mom would be so proud of her (little) Lilla Bernard continuing her tradition of canning in the fall.) A mere hour’s drive to discover the magic of these pickled peppers seemed like an excellent investment of my time. Another example of how a woman with no life manages to have fun.

When I entered Bernie’s basement kitchen, the air had a pungent aroma that only a large pile of freshly cut hot peppers can create. You cough a bit, but it’s manageable as long as you have water or beer nearby. (The sweet peppers don’t do that to you, only the hot ones.)

The crew I would be pickling with were already on their first break and eating a pizza when I showed up a half hour late. The crew included, Bernie, his longtime friend, John, and John’s brothers-in-law, George and Roger.

George, John, and Roger were washing and slicing the peppers and Bernie was orchestrating events. I got to work, gloving up first, then filling jars with sliced peppers as I was told like a good little sister.

PLEASE USE GLOVES! If you don’t use gloves when handling hot peppers, you regret it as soon as the capsaicin in the peppers hits a tiny cut on your hand, or you lick a finger or rub an eye. Man, does it burn. (Capsaicin is the compound in peppers that makes them hot.) Some folks claim it’s the seeds that make the peppers hot, others, like chemists, say it’s the membrane near the seeds that does it. Either way, they will burn you, so be careful! Obviously, you won’t need the gloves for the sweet banana peppers.

We used 16 ounce jars. Into each jar went: One clove of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of alum (which helps keep the peppers crisp), 1 teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of Italian seasoning and one tablespoon of vegetable oil like Wesson. Bernie says vegetable oil is best for canning peppers, olive oil is too strong.

Those ingredients sit at the bottom of each jar, then we packed the jar with pepper rings, then poured a boiling water/vinegar/sugar mixture over the peppers leaving about a half inch at the top of each jar. After screwing on the sterilized lids, I gently shook the jars and turned them upside down on the table. We let them sit for 20 minutes, then turned them right side up. They all created vacuums, which was great! If he lid doesn’t create a vacuum, you can store that jar in the fridge. And that’s it! See how easy?

I wondered if we needed to put the jars filled with peppers, in a hot water bath, like I do when I make jam, so the lids seal. But if you do that, then the peppers get soggy and don’t have that wonderful crisp texture. So, we filled them, then inverted them and they sealed just fine.

The amounts will vary depending on how many peppers you want to pickle. That’s why they are a little ambiguous in the following recipe. I’ll be making a batch soon (by myself) and will put in more definite amounts. If you run out of the vinegar, sugar, water mixture, just mix up another batch. Recipe is below.

You can still get good banana peppers at the store right now, so you should try making these. Pickled peppers are excellent on Italian cold-cut sandwiches, in salads, or just to eat right out of the jar! And they are low cal! If you try this, let me know how it goes!

If you enjoy this blog and the recipes and would like to be a supporter so I can stay caffeinated enough to turn out a blog on a regular basis, just click on buymeacoffee.com/FranTunno

And thank you so very much to everyone who has already donated! I appreciate the help! This is definitely not mandatory. You’ll still get my stories and recipes if you don’t, but it sure helps defray the costs of putting out a blog, which is not cheap. And if you like what you read here, please feel free to share my posts and become a follower. Just enter your email on the top right if you’re on a computer, or scroll to the bottom if you’re on a cell phone. Thanks again!

Best Pickled Peppers!