These are the best pickled banana peppers because they are easy, crips, spicy and ready in hours instead of days. Canning crisp banana peppers have never been this quick or delicious!
If you like to eat pickled or brined food items you will want to make my pickled beets, pickled onions, sous vide corned beef (not just for St. Patrick's Day!) Be sure to add banana peppers or even Bisquick sausage balls to your next cheese board for when you want to nosh.
If you are in York, Pa you NEED to head to The Left Bank Restaurant and try their flash-fried calamari with banana peppers.
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🫑 Ingredients needed:
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- banana peppers - medium-sized, fresh, stem, and seeds removed
- canning salt - salt that does not have anti-clumping ingredients added
- celery seeds
- mustard seeds
- peppercorns, whole
- pinch turmeric (optional for color)
- white vinegar, 5% acidity
- water
- sugar
🌶️ When are banana peppers ripe to pick?
Sweet banana peppers are ripe to pick when they long yellow, banana-shaped pepper is firm, have richly colored, shiny skin and that are heavy for their size. Avoid those that are limp, shriveled or that have soft or bruised spots.*
🥄 Packing Banana Peppers
- Place the pickling spices in the bottom of the canning jar.
- Add the sliced banana pepper rings to the jar.
- Jiggle, shake and bang the peppers in the jar to ensure they are laying flat and taking up the least amount of space.
- Press the peppers down in the jar and repeat.
- Stop adding peppers when the peppers reach the bottom of the rings on the jar.
🧂 Adding pickling brine
- Pour the brining liquid over the banana pepper rings.
- Use a plastic or bamboo stick to remove any air bubbles from the jar using a poking motion.
- Pour enough brine that the peppers are covered and there is ½" headspace.
- Clean the rim and add a new lid and a clean ring.
- Finger tighten.
- Continue with the canning pickled banana pepper instructions below.
🥫Canning Instructions
- Heat canning jars in boiling water.
- Add pickling spices to each jar as instructed above.
- Pack banana peppers as instructed above.
- Bring water, sugar and vinegar to a boil.
- Pour enough brine that the peppers are covered and there is ½" head space.
- Clean the rim and add a new lid and a clean ring.
- Finger tighten.
- Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.
- Remove from water and cool completely on a heat safe surface.
♨️ Sous Vide Instructions
I use the sous vide method of cooking to quickly pickle banana peppers. The lower temperature ensures the peppers retain their crunch while having the sweet banana peppers pickled in hours instead of days. I have water bath canning instructions for those of you who do not have a sous vide.
- Set up your sous vide water bath on a heat-safe surface and preheat the water to 140F.
- Place the canning jars or bags in the water. (heat seal bag or use the water displacement method)
- Cook for 2 hours.
- Remove from water bath and place on a heat-safe surface.
- Cool completely and enjoy it!
New to sous vide? I explain in simple terms everything I know about sous vide cooking. Included in my favorite sous vide recipes are my sous vide pork chop recipe and the ever-popular sous vide egg bites. Just like Starbucks! If you love Starbucks as much as I do, you are going to want to make a batch of sous vide cold brew coffee. Say goodbye to the long wait and hello to the smooth taste.
🗒️ Frequently asked questions and tips:
Banana peppers do not taste like bananas. They are called banana peppers because of the thin, long, yellow waxy color of pepper that resembles a banana.
Sweet peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C and contain fair amounts of vitamin A and a small amounts of calcium, phosphorus, iron thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.*
*source: The New Food Lover's Companion. Second Addition. Sharon Tyler Herbst
A banana pepper that fell into the middle of its potential heat range would typically be about 21 times milder than a middle-range jalapeño. Like the pepperoncini pepper, banana peppers have a tang to them, but there’s a sweetness there too. It’s a hard chili not to love the flavor of, especially when pickled. Source. If you are looking for something with a bit more spice, make a batch of sticky, sweet candied jalapeños, aka cowboy candy.
There is turmeric in this pickled banana peppers recipe to add a bit of natural yellow coloring and an unexpected layer of flavor that makes these pickled banana peppers extra special.
This is the easiest pickled banana peppers recipe. These are the best pickled banana peppers because they are crips, spicy and ready in hours instead of days. Canning crisp banana peppers have never been this quick or this delicious!
Recipe Card
Pickled Banana Peppers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16-20 medium sized banana peppers fresh, stem and seeds removed
- 4 teaspoons canning salt
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns whole
- pinch turmeric optional for color
- 2 cups white vinegar 5% acidity
- ¾ cup water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
- How to prepare banana peppers for canning.
- Use food safe plastic gloves if you are sensitive to hot peppers.
- Wash banana peppers in cool water.
- Slice off the stem end of the banana pepper and discard the stem.
- To remove the seeds and membrane, insert a small, thin sharp knife in the stem end and with a twisting and scraping motion, scrape the membrane and seeds out of the banana pepper.
- Seeds and membranes can also be left in tact if you would like a more spicy pickled banana pepper.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the banana peppers into ¼" rings.
- Preparing the pickled banana brine:Use clean 8 ounce canning jars, new lids and clean rings.*
- In each jar place ¼ of the dry brine ingredients, excluding the sugar. (each jar gets:)
- 1 teaspoon canning salt
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
- pinch of turmeric
- Combine the vinegar, sugar and water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
How To Pack Banana Peppers for Pickling
- Place the pickling spices in the bottom of the canning jar.
- Add the sliced banana pepper rings to the jar.
- Jiggle, shake and bang the peppers in the jar to ensure they are laying flat and taking up the least amount of space.
- Press the peppers down in the jar and repeat.
- Stop adding peppers when the peppers reach the bottom of the rings on the jar.
- Adding pickling brine to the banana pepper jars.
- Pour the brining liquid over the banana pepper rings.
- Use a plastic or bamboo stick to remove any air bubbles from the jar using a poking motion.
- Pour enough brine that the peppers are covered and there is ½" head space.
- Clean the rim and add a new lid and a clean ring.
- Finger tighten.
Sous Vide Pickled Banana Pepper Instructions
- Set up your sous vide water bath on a heat safe surface and preheat the water to 140F.
- Place the canning jars or bag in the water. (heat seal bag or use water displacement method)
- Cook for 2 hours.
- Remove from water bath and place on a heat safe surface.
- Cool completely and enjoy!
Canning Pickled Banana Pepper Instructions
- Heat canning jars in boiling water.
- Add pickling spices to each jar as instructed above.
- Pack banana peppers as instructed above.
- Bring water, sugar and vinegar to a boil.
- Pour enough brine that the peppers are covered and there is ½" head space.
- Clean the rim and add a new lid and a clean ring.
- Finger tighten.
- Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.
- Remove from water and cool completely on a heat safe surface.
Notes
Nutrition
published August 11, 2019.
Sarah Mock
Are the peppers mushy, as in fall apart applesauce texture? Or are they soggy as in partially cooked?
Are you storing your peppers on the shelf after just heating the jars and vinegar but not water bath canning them? Please don't do that because that is a very dangerous food handling practice. You are creating an environment ripe for bacteria to grow.
If you don't want to water bath can them, just add the spices to the jar, payer peppers on top and then pour cold vinegar over everything. Cover with a lid and ring and chill in the fridge for a week or two. These will NOT be shelf-stable.
Let me know if I missed anything.
Sarah
Angela cecchi
When I pickled banana peppers I do not give hot bath after I stuff my jars. I do heat my jars and viniger. When I put my lids on they seal but my problem is my peppers are soggy. I put a small slice in each pepper I get out the bubbles I wipe the top but they start getting a discolored right away and then you can see that they will be soggy. What am I doing wrong. I have seen all the utube I have also used the hot bath but it still did it. Please help.thanks.
Michael
this taste yummy and chance you'd have any advice on making pepperoncini sous vide ?
Sarah
Ellie,
I believe they are ready as soon as they cool.Thanks for asking. I hope they turned out delicious for you!
Sarah
Ellie
How long should these sit before eating, to let the flavors really marinate? (I did the water bath canning method.)
Sarah
Thanks for the question Heather! Yes, the jars seal and they are safe for long term storage. (shelf stable for 6 months to a year) You can find more info at Chef Steps: https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/make-crisp-flavor-packed-pickles-on-the-quick
Heather
Hi Sarah! This looks awesome, would love to try canning with the sous vide. Do the jars seal at that low temperature? And are they pasteurized/safe for long term storage? Or better kept in the fridge?
Sarah
Dean,
Yes. These are shelf stable with the sous vide method.
Dean Hildebrand
Do these have to be kept in refrigerator or can they be stored in cabinet?
Sarah
Mary,
Thanks for the note! I had issues with my recipe card the past day. If you scroll to the bottom of the post the card with all the ingredients and instructions will be there. You can print it too!!