Easy way to make Pickled Peppers

• Food: Pickled Peppers
• Writer: Nicolas Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

If I were, to sum up, the previous week in two words, they would be pepper issues.

I had a lot of trouble with these peppers! I’d cooked this quick-pickled jalapeno before, but these locally grown peppers were far spicier than the others.

I felt like one of those ridiculous, red-faced cartoon characters with steam pouring out of his ears after just one small bite of raw sliced pepper.

Then, while rinsing the sliced peppers under running water to reduce their spiciness, the pepper fumes made me cough. To get through it, I had to use my shirt as a nasal mask.

So keep an eye out for pepper asphyxiation. (I realize I’m being dramatic right now, but bear with me.) I’m still recommending them because none of my previous batches have caused me any problems.

The end outcome, on the other hand, is completely enticing. Fresh, and spicy, with a mild sweetness from the honey and bell pepper, and a lovely, crisp crunch.

I created a control batch with ordinary distilled white vinegar and no bell peppers, as you can see in the images, but I love the gourmet version with honey so much that I’m going to insist that you use it.

After pickled radishes, it was only a matter of time before I moved on to peppers. These pickled peppers are delicious on nachos, tacos, quesadillas, and a variety of other dishes.

Notes & Tips for Pickled Peppers

I’ve always liked pickled jalapenos, but I’ve recently been disappointed by store-bought varieties that are too thickly sliced (overpowering the other flavors) and taste way too salty (again, overwhelming the other flavors).

Not to mention that, in addition to vinegar, many pickled jalapenos contain food coloring and preservatives, which I’d rather avoid.

If you want to make sure your peppers aren’t too hot, select larger ones so you can easily remove the seeds and membranes before slicing. The heat is focused in that area.

Avoid peppers that are more mature and have striations on the sides, as these are thought to signify hotter peppers. If you try a sliver of a few of your jalapenos and none of them are particularly spicy, you probably won’t have to worry about getting spicy pickles.

Having said that, pickling the peppers with vinegar, salt, and a smidgeon of honey brings them down considerably! If you run across a bunch of jalapenos at the farmers’ market this weekend, you may use this simple refrigerator pickles recipe to preserve them for later.

Pickled Peppers

Learn how to make delicious jalapeno and bell pepper pickles that are both spicy and sweet! It’s quite simple, and the pickles will last for months in the refrigerator.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ pound jalapeños (choose larger jalapeños for less spicy pickles)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons honey or sugar of choice
• 1 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To begin, prepare your peppers as follows: If you don’t want your fingers to get burned, wear gloves. Remove the jalapeno membranes and seeds with a paring knife before slicing for a milder pickle (this is a lot of work, so I just pulled out the larger membranes from my sliced pickles). Using a mandoline or a chef’s knife, thinly slice the pickles. If you’re still worried about the pickles’ spicy level, put the sliced jalapenos through a strainer under running water to remove any leftover seeds. (Warning: the pepper fumes caused me to choke.) Remove the seeds and membranes from the bell pepper by slicing off the top. Cut the bell pepper into small pieces.
2. In a 28-ounce (1.75 pints) or larger glass jar, combine the prepared peppers and smashed garlic. Combine the vinegar, water, honey, and salt in a small pot. Bring the mixture to a near-boiling point on the heat, stirring regularly to dissolve the sweetener. Remove the peppers from the heat and carefully pour the liquid over them. Pock down the peppers with a butter knife to ensure that they all fit and that there are no hidden air pockets.
3. Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature in the jar before covering them with a lid and storing them in the refrigerator. Depending on how thinly you sliced the peppers, they may be ready to eat right away or may require a couple of days in the refrigerator before tasting fully pickled (test one now and then!). They’re finest when they’re still warm, but they’ll keep for at least a month.

NOTES

• TO MAKE IT VEGAN: Honey can be replaced with maple syrup, agave nectar, or sugar.
• IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO CAN IT? No. This is a recipe for “refrigerator pickles.” It has not been tested for canning safety and is not suitable for canning in a water bath. Please don’t even try! Instead, choose a recipe created expressly for canning.