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…

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:
- 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:

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 can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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.
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!
Yep! Just make sure those jars are sanitized first 🙂
Most definitely!
Thank you!
Best banana peppers I have ever eaten! I will use this on my other peppers too.
Thank you for this recipe!
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!
I really like this recipe and it’s easy to follow, and easy to make!
Do you let them sit for a week in the fridge or at room temp before moving them to the fridge for 3 months?
Allow them to cool then put in the fridge to marinate for at least a week before you dig in 🙂
how many pints does this recipe make as written?
I answer that above in the post and the recipe card 🙂
Have you used this with jalapeños? My garden went crazy this year and I want to try something different with them.
Hi Jay! No I haven’t but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work
I tried it with jalapeños and red hot peppers, amazing.Love this easy recipe.
Ridiculously easy and the flavor is so good!
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!!
You only need to do that if you’re planning to preserve them (can them); otherwise they stay in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.:)
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.
Thanks so very much Mimi!!