How to make pickled banana peppers
Pickled banana peppers are quick to make, tangy, and endlessly useful — pile them on sandwiches, pizza, salads, or eat them straight from the jar. The brine comes together in 25 minutes, then the peppers need 24 hours in the fridge before they’re ready to eat.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Quick & easy — The brine comes together in 25 minutes, no special equipment needed.
• Make ahead — Even better when made ahead, giving the banana peppers time to pickle and develop their flavor.
• Versatile — Adjust the heat, sweetness, or spices to match what you like — works with mild or hot banana peppers.
Easy pickled banana peppers recipe
Pickled banana peppers are a tasty addition to pizza, sandwiches and salads. I often add them to tuna salad to give it a little kick. These easy refrigerator pickles are done in under 30 minutes and they keep for 2 months in the fridge.
Because they are not processed (cooked) in a hot water bath, these pickles stay nice and crunchy.
The upside of making your own pickled peppers is being able to adjust the ingredients to suit your personal preferences. You can make them spicy or mild, more or less sweet, etc.
Ingredients
- Banana peppers – You can find banana peppers or Hungarian wax peppers in the markets. They are also very easy to grow in the garden.
- Vinegar – I use a combination of apple cider and white vinegars. Straight white vinegar gives you sharp acidity but a flat flavor; using all cider vinegar can taste too sweet with peppers this mild. Combining the two keeps the brine bright and balanced.
- Kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, see note if you use Morton’s. (Use pickling or kosher salt here, not iodized table salt — iodine can cloud the brine and leave a faint metallic taste.)
- Turmeric – Turmeric is doing a cosmetic job here, not a flavor one — it gives the brine that classic golden-deli hue without adding bitterness. If you’ve ever wondered why store-bought pickled peppers look more yellow than homemade ones, this is usually why.
- Mustard and celery seeds – You can swap out these 2 seeds with a store bought pickling mix, if you prefer.
- Garlic – A couple of cloves of garlic, sliced razor thin, give the peppers great flavor.
- Sugar – A little sugar is needed to balance the acid.
How to make
Super simple to make, these quick pickled banana peppers are crunchy, with just a little kick. Here’s a quick summary of how to make them. Please see recipe card at the bottom of this post for full recipe.
- First, you’ll need to sterilize 4 half-pint jars. Then, cut stems from top of peppers and discard.
- Slice peppers into thin rings and place into sterilized jars — Pack the peppers in snugly but don’t crush them. Loose peppers float above the brine and pickle unevenly — you want full contact with the liquid.
- Place all of the ingredients for the brine in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer, not a hard boil — boiling too hard cooks off some of the vinegar’s acidity before it hits the peppers, and you’ll end up with a less tangy pickle.
- Pour the hot brine over peppers, cool, then seal the jars before storing in the refrigerator.
Chef’s Tip:
Don’t skip the cooling step before sealing. Pouring hot brine into a sealed jar traps steam, which can soften the peppers before they’ve even started pickling — let them cool to room temp on the counter first for maximum crunch.
Are Pickled Banana Peppers Spicy?
Pickled banana peppers are usually mild, with a little tangy heat. Banana peppers typically range from 0 to 500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), so they’re much milder than a jalapeño (2,500–8,000 SHU). Their heat level can vary depending on the variety and how much of the pepper’s seeds and membranes are left intact. If you want more heat, swap in hot banana peppers or add a sliced jalapeño to the jar.
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Pickled banana peppers FAQ’s
To keep your peppers crunchy: use fresh, firm peppers, pack the jars snugly to keep them submerged in brine, and store in the refrigerator.
It’s best to wait 24 – 48 hours for the peppers to have time to pickle. Personally, I think by day 3, they’re perfect. If you eat them too soon, they won’t taste pickled.
Yes. If you’d prefer to store them in the cabinet, you can process the jars in a water bath for 10 – 12 minutes. Check with the home food preservation professionals for safety guidelines.
Banana peppers are milder with a slightly sweet, tangy flavor and smoother skin. Pepperoncini are a touch spicier and more acidic, with a more wrinkled skin — they’re the ones you typically see on antipasto platters and Greek salads.
Storage / Freezing Information
To store: Store in the refrigerator for 2 months. Peppers can also be canned for shelf storage — see notes. (If the brine looks a little cloudy after a couple weeks, that’s usually just the spices settling, not spoilage. Spoiled brine smells off and the peppers will look visibly mushy or slimy — that’s your real signal to toss them.)
To freeze: I don’t recommend freezing pickled banana peppers. The texture will become mushy.
Variations and substitutions
- You can omit the garlic, if you are not a fan.
- For a bit of heat, add a sliced jalapeño, or a teaspoon or two of crushed red pepper.
- I’ve used a combination of apple cider and white vinegar, but you can also use rice vinegar or tarragon vinegar for a great pickle.
- Swap out mustard and celery seeds for a store-bought pickling mix, if you prefer.
- These are refrigerator pickles. However, if you prefer to can them for shelf store, see the recipe notes for tips.
Serving suggestions
- You can use these banana pepper pickles on your favorite sandwiches or pizza.
- Sprinkle them on green salads or grain salads for a bit of tangy heat.
- Serve alongside cured meats on a charcuterie board — the vinegar cuts through the fat.
Helpful tools and equipment
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Pickled Banana Peppers
Ingredients
- ½ lb. banana peppers or Hungarian wax peppers, tops cut off and sliced into rings / about 6 medium peppers
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon mustard seed
- ½ teaspoon celery seed *see note
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt I use Diamond Crystal, see note
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Sterilize 4 half-pint jars and lids — Place them in a large pot, and cover with hot water by an inch or two. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. (If you're at a higher elevation, add 1 minute for each 1,000 ft. over 10,000 ft.)
- Use tongs to carefully remove the jars and lids from the water, then place on a clean kitchen towel until they are cool enough to handle. Place sliced banana peppers inside, packing snugly, but not crushing them.
- In a medium sauce pot, combine all remaining ingredients and bring to a hard simmer.
- When pickling brine has come to a hard simmer, pour hot liquid over peppers — leaving 1/4- 1/2 inch space from top of jar. Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a chopstick to press peppers down into the liquid and release any air pockets in the jars. Wipe off any brine that may have spilled on the rim or the side of the jar.
- Place on the counter to cool to room temperature, then place lid on jar and tighten ring.
- Refrigerate for (at least) 24 – 48 before using. Peppers will last around 2 months if stored in airtight containers in the fridge.
Chef’s Notes
- Pickled peppers will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of months.
- If you prefer, you can substitute a pickling mix instead of celery and mustard seeds.
- To store these pickles in the cupboard, process in a hot water canning bath for 10 – 12 minutes.
- The turmeric gives the pickles a yellow color, similar to the store bought varieties. If you prefer to omit that ingredient, the pickles will still taste the same.
- Banana peppers are generally not hot. If you’d like to make them spicy, add a teaspoon or two of crushed red pepper, a few hot banana peppers, or a sliced jalapeño for a little heat.
- If you use Morton’s kosher salt, reduce amount by almost half.
- I prefer to let these peppers hang out in the fridge for 3 days before eating. That gives them a chance to get nice and tangy!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. Use your preferred nutritional calculator using the products and brands you are using for exact information.
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Originally published 6/17/13, most recent update 9/16/26.
Very good! Used half of the sugar only. Gave away 8 pints! Ah, keeping my last two pints for ME!
Thanks, Sharon! I’m glad you liked it and you kept some for yourself!! 🙂
Need something different for TG. What changes got?
Can you explain? Not sure what you’re asking.