Pickled Banana Peppers
Crisp pickled banana pepper rings in a tangy cider vinegar brine, canned in a water bath for the pantry shelf. Pile them onto sandwiches, pizza and salads all year.
Servings: 32 servings, makes about 4 pints
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
- Bubble remover
Ingredients
- 2½ to 3 lbs banana peppers
- 5 cups cider vinegar 5% acidity
- 1¼ cups water
- 5 tsp canning and pickling salt
- 1/2 tsp Pickle Crisp 1/8 tsp per pint or 1/4 tsp per quart
Optional Spices
- 4 tsp mustard seed 1 tsp per pint
- 2 tsp celery seed 1/2 tsp per pint
Instructions
- Wash the banana peppers and cut off the stem ends. To seed them, run a chopstick around the inside of each whole pepper to loosen the core, then tip the seeds out.
- Slice the peppers into rings about 1/4 inch thick. For extra crunch, soak the rings in ice water for about an hour while the canner heats, then drain them well.
- Heat the water bath canner, and keep the jars hot until you fill them.
- Combine the cider vinegar, water and salt in a stainless steel or enamel pot. Bring to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves.
- Put the Pickle Crisp and the mustard and celery seed, if using, in the bottom of each hot jar. Pack in the pepper rings tightly, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Ladle the boiling brine over the peppers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and top up the brine if needed. Wipe the rims and apply the lids and bands fingertip tight.
- Set the jars in a water bath canner of hot water, about 140 degrees F, with at least 1 inch of water over them. Bring to a full rolling boil, then process half pints and pints for 10 minutes or quarts for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude (see notes).
- Turn off the heat, take the lid off the canner, and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes before lifting them out.
- Cool the jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals and store them in a cool, dark place. They're ready to eat in 2 to 3 days.
Notes
Yield: 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of banana peppers fill about 4 pints or 2 quarts, depending on how thick you slice the rings and how tightly you pack them. The brine makes more than you need.
Brine: 4 parts vinegar at 5% acidity to 1 part water. Never reduce the vinegar or add more water. White vinegar can replace the cider vinegar, and you can adjust the salt and spices to taste.
Spices: Optional. Use 1 teaspoon mustard seed and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed per pint, half that for half pints, and double for quarts.
Pickle Crisp: Strongly recommended. Use 1/8 teaspoon per pint, 1/4 teaspoon per quart, or a pinch for half pints. Banana peppers are fragile and go soft without it, though you don't need it for safety.
Peppers: Any pepper, hot or sweet, can replace some or all of the banana peppers, as long as the total amount stays the same.
Canning optional: For refrigerator pickles, skip the water bath and keep the jars in the fridge. They keep a few months with the peppers under the brine.
Recipe source: Adapted from the National Center for Home Food Preservation's Pickled Yellow Pepper Rings and Colorado State University Extension's Making Pickled Peppers, which gives the quart processing time.
Altitude adjustments: Processing times for half pints, pints and quarts in a water bath canner.
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 10 minutes for half pints and pints and 15 minutes for quarts
- 1,001 to 6,000 feet: 15 minutes for half pints and pints and 20 minutes for quarts
- Above 6,000 feet: 20 minutes for half pints and pints and 25 minutes for quarts
Nutrition
Serving: 2oz | Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 371mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.3mg