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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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203 Comments

  1. Hello! I am really excited to try this recipe ! I am fairly new to canning. Is the water bath method safe to use with the banana peppers? I read a lot of recipes and many people used the pressure canners. I would prefer to do the water bath method if it’s safe.

  2. a trick I have found when I make my Banana peppers is to soak the peppers in a salt brine ( 2 cups water, 2 TBS salt) and while soaking, cover with ice. Soak 2-3 hours or even overnight.
    then put them in the jars and continue with this recipe. the ice soak helps them stay crispy

  3. if you are going to process the jars over 10 minutes then you don’t have to steriize the jars. i always sterilize my jars just to be safe.all you have to do is put the jars in some water and slowly heat it up. bring to low boil. you don’t want the jars to be moving around. then when you are ready to use take one out and fill it with whatever you are canning and then wipe the rim off with a clean towel. then put the lids on and then the ring. make sure you don’t over tighten the ring. i spin the ring on till it stops then a small turn, maybe an 1/8 of a turn and that is it. hope this helps you Karleigh.

  4. 5 stars
    Hi there!

    New to “canning”…so did you sterilize your jars prior to making this batch? If so, how did you do it? If not, does the boiling of the brine suffice?

    Thanks!

    1. 5 stars
      I wash my jars in hot soapy water and rinse them really good. Then I put them in the dishwasher without soap and that sterilizes them pretty good. My dishwasher has a sterilizing option on it.

    2. 5 stars
      I always boil my jars before canning. You don’t always have to but, it makes me feel better knowing the are super clean. Then I let them dry on some clean paper towels. I also boil the lids and rings. You can find a canning pot that won’t be too expensive at your local Walmart. You will also need some canning tools and you should be able to find canning directions on line. I just finished making this recipe and can’t wait to try them.

      1. If I use the standard canning method, can they then be kept on the shelf for….a year? Longer?

  5. Does the hot vinegar soften the peppers? Or do they stay crunchy? Will cooling the juice help keep them crispy? Still learning tips & tricks.

  6. Your pictures do not look like banana peppers. They look like cubanells to me. I have a ton of both. I usually freeze my cubanells because they are such a fine frying pepper. I plan on pickling all the bananas. I’m going to try this recipe and hot water bathe in mason jars for pantry storage. I’ll let you know how they turn out.

  7. 5 stars
    I omitted the celery seed and replaced it with cumin seed and added 1/4 tsp of red pepper flake ( I like heat) can’t wait to try them.

  8. I don’t like anydthing hot, so I usually grow the sweet banana pepper in my small raised bed in my back yard.. I tried this refrig recipe and it was great. I did not have some the ingredients, so instead of the celery and mustard seed I used Slap Your Momma spice and pepper .I made some more today. I intend to use the correct indredients next time. I have a bunch of green grape tomatoes . Wonder if you could do them the same way?;

  9. I hope some one can help me. I have banana peppers in my garden and my Mother in-law when she was alive, used to bottle them with freshly made tomato sauce and with olive oil, we used to go crazy over it, she used to call it ZEYTOON YAHRLI..

    I was wondering if there is a recipe for it. Now I’m left alone and looking every where to find out if anyone knows what I’m talking about and maybe help.

    Thank you

  10. 5 stars
    Thanks for this, I had a pile of banana peppers and some Jimmy Nardellos, so did a jar of each. Now to just wait the week before trying them!

  11. 5 stars
    I love pickled banana peppers and am growing them for the first time this year. I was looking for a good and easy recipe. I tried this with my first batch of peppers I harvested and waited a week like was recommended. Just opened them and YUMMY! Just what I was hoping for. The peppers still have crunch and the flavor is just right. I did the refridgerator version. Thank you for this recipe!

  12. how long can these stay in the frig with out sealing the jar? People at work have been sharing some and I would like to try this but don’t have the stuff needs to seal the jar. we are getting our own home this month and would like to start filling my frig with homemade items.

  13. I can’t wait to try this! Quick question…does pickling the peppers take away some of the heat? Our peppers got REALLY spicy this year, and the kids don’t want to eat them. Thanks!

  14. 5 stars
    Found your recipe for easy pickle banana peppers and I made them today. I did the water bath process due to having so many peppers coming off at this time. In a week I will try them and let all of you know if i followed your instructions correctly for mine to turn out wonderful like yours. Thank you for sharing.
    Joan-Sanford, NC

  15. I’m a huge fan of banana peppers, but I’ve never even thought of pickling them! This is great. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I can’t wait to try this at home. I’ll have to report back once I’ve finished!

  16. 5 stars
    Can I omit the mustard seeds or use something in place of them? I have a bunch of peppers & was looking for a recipe to can them.

      1. Thanks for the tip…I haven’t been able to find mustard seeds but I have plenty of ground mustard!

  17. 5 stars
    How fun to have your own pickled peppers! I just got done "putting up" some tomato sauce. Most of it will end up being chili this fall and winter. We've never grown banana peppers either but now I want to!