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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…

Garden Fresh Easy Pickled Banana Peppers in a ball mason pint jar.

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.)

Banana Peppers growing on the vine in a vegetable garden.

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.

fresh vegetable garden haul of banana peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.

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.

Easy Pickled Banana Peppers recipe from The Country Cook.

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:

  1. Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed to a rolling boil.
  2. Pour brine over peppers to within ½” of the top.
  3. Wipe off the rim and put lid and ring on.
  4. Store in the fridge. This makes 2 pints.
  5. Leave for 1 week or longer to let peppers marinate (if you can wait that long to dig in.)
EASY PICKLED BANANA PEPPERS IN A PINT-SIZED CANNING JAR.

TIPS FOR PICKLING BANANA PEPPERS:

  • 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.

RECIPES YOU CAN USE YOUR BANANA PEPPERS:

Pickled Banana Peppers

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!
4.95 from 292 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12

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.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Sodium: 8mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g

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.

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Recipe Rating




203 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is a great way to keep our over abundance of banana peppers. It’s the perfect recipe for us.

  2. 5 stars
    This is my first time pickling peppers. I was a little hesitant but the reviews for this recipe were spot on. My family loves them and my husband can’t get enough of them! I’ve already made four batches some for now some for later, excellent recipe easy to follow. I made green peppers with this recipe and banana peppers with this recipe both have their own unique flavor and are delicious.

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve done quite a bit of canning in the last few years. My dad loves sweet banana peppers so I decided to try this recipe. After all, it was the highest rated one that I could find. I have to say, the brine is amazing! I added a bit more sugar because my peppers were fresh to freezer to canning. (I wanted to make sure I was taking in to account the bits of ice in the pepper bag.) Love this recipe!!! Thank you.

  4. Love this recipe! Can I use this brine with sliced jalapeños, sliced onions and a couple cloves of garlic (in pints canning jars)?
    I’m planning to water bath can them. I’m below 1,000 ft so would that be 10 mins at a full boil, 5 mins with pot cover off to rest before taking them out?
    Looking forward to your response.
    Thank you!

  5. 5 stars
    Amazing recipe! I’ve already made it twice in one week with my bumper crop of banana peppers. We barely made it a week before digging in and they all disappeared quickly. Highly recommend!

  6. Do you let them sit for a week in the fridge or at room temp before moving them to the fridge for 3 months?

  7. 5 stars
    Have you used this with jalapeños? My garden went crazy this year and I want to try something different with them.

  8. 5 stars
    Question: I’m new to canning and pickling. When following this recipe, is there a reason this doesn’t call for pressuring them or water bathing after all ingredients are added? Do they have to go to the fridge or can they be stored in a pantry? Thank you!!

  9. 5 stars
    First time pickling home grown banana peppers and cucumbers. They are amazing! I’m looking forward to using this recipe again! No need to search for anything else.