Sweet and Spicy Pickled Mini Peppers ~
A quick and easy recipe for pickling peppers!
Don’t you love seeing all those colorful bags of mini peppers in the supermarket? I love buying them but the bag almost always contains way more peppers than I actually need at one time.
Why can’t we purchase them individually? That should be a thing.
Most recently I picked up some peppers for making Vegan Sausage & Cheddar Stuffed Mini Peppers (yum!) but then the unused peppers were left just sitting there in the fridge for days. Today, I decided it was time to use ’em or lose ’em.
Since I’m working on reducing our food waste, I decided to try preserving the peppers using a widely used method for pickling, which is taking a vinegar base and adding salt, sugar, and whatever else you like for flavor then drenching the peppers with it.
I admire those people with Pinterest-worthy pantries fully stocked with canned vegetables. You know the ones, right? They’re all over Instagram.
Some people even have whole meals preserved in jars! Maybe I’ll get there someday but for now, I’m just happy to not throw out the peppers.
As I was looking around online, I found there are all sorts of things you can add to the vinegar mixture for preserving food. Dill seems to be a popular addition and not just for turning cucumbers into pickles either, which is another thing I want to try soon. Garlic and onions are pretty common, too.
Because these peppers are meant to be spicy, their kick comes from the addition of red pepper flakes. However, I do think a jalapeno or two thrown in would also add some nice heat.
How to Eat Sweet and Spicy Pickled Mini Peppers
Add them to these food favorites:
- pizza
- grilled cheese sandwiches
- hoagie sandwiches
- Blackened Seitan Philly Cheesesteak
- nachos
- veggie dogs
- Greek salad
- Vegan Sloppy Joe Sliders
Or do like my husband does and enjoy them straight out of the jar!
Ingredients for Sweet and Spicy Pickled Mini Peppers
You will need:
- 1/2 pound sweet mini peppers
- 1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
How to Make Sweet and Spicy Pickled Mini Peppers
STEP ONE: Add all of the sliced mini peppers to an 8-ounce jar.
STEP TWO: Into a small-size saucepan over medium-high heat, add white wine vinegar, water, sugar, sea salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring just to a boil then remove from heat.
STEP THREE: Pour the vinegar mixture into the jar with the sliced peppers.
STEP FOUR: Seal the jars with a lid or plastic wrap, and let cool to room temperature.
STEP FIVE: Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Note: 24 hours should be treated as a minimum suggested time to wait before serving the pickled peppers. Ideally, allow 2-3 weeks for the flavors to fully develop.
More Pepper Recipes You’ll Love!
- Italian Bell Pepper Salad
- Sweet Bell Pepper Bruschetta
- Vegan Sausage and Cheddar Stuffed Mini Peppers
- Air Fried Shishito Peppers
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
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Ingredients
- 1/2 pound sweet mini peppers
- 1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add all of the sliced mini peppers to an 8-ounce jar.
- Into a small-size saucepan over medium-high heat, add white wine vinegar, water, sugar, sea salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring just to a boil then remove from heat.
- Pour the vinegar mixture into the jar with the sliced peppers.
- Seal the jars with a lid or plastic wrap, and let cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
Kathy
Is the amount of sugar in the recipe correct as written?
thiswifecooks
Yes, the amount of sugar is correct. 🙂
Tess
Do they need to be stored in the refrigerator? Can they be stored on the shelf?
thiswifecooks
Hi Tess ~ These peppers should be stored in the refrigerator.
Crystal
I could eat sweet and spicy peppers with everything and this recipe looks so easy! Thanks!
Lucy
I didn’t realise how easy it is to pickle peppers. Such a great way of reducing food waste.
Natalie
My husband loves your pickled mini peppers recipe. Always asks when am I gonna make it again, thanks!
Janie
These were awesome! My entire family loved them.
Thank You!
thiswifecooks
Yay! I love hearing that! Thank you so much for the feedback! 😊
Heather
Can’t wait to make these. How long will they keep?
thiswifecooks
Hi Heather ~ These peppers will keep well in the fridge for a long time. For maximum crunchiness, it’s best to eat them within 2-3 months. However, I have a jar from about a year ago and they’re still good! (I had to run and eat one real quick to be sure before I responded to your question, lol)
Cheryl Keenan
I had a bunch of little peppers and had no idea what to do with them. I tried this recipe and they are WONDERFUL!! I definitely will make more! 6 stars! Easy and good!
thiswifecooks
Awesome! Thanks so much for your review, Cheryl! 😊
Candie Robertson
Can this recipe be canned? Using sterilized jars and packing raw, then pouring the hot brine over them? Process in a water bath for say 25 minutes?
thiswifecooks
I have not tried this process but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to go for it! 🙂