Pickled Sweet Peppers are easy to make with sliced peppers, onion, vinegar, sugar, and simple spices. They’re sweet, tangy and crunchy. Sealed jars will last up to 18-months.
Pickled peppers are perfect for sandwiches, toppings for pizza, omelets, and charcuterie boards. It’s a great way to preserve peppers when you have an abundance of them! This is my MOST popular canning recipe!
This pickled peppers recipe is one of my most popular canning recipes! Sealed jars will last up to 18-months on pantry shelves.
We always grew a large vegetable garden and tried to preserve everything we could. Not only were those jars of Marinara Sauce, Raspberry Rhubarb Jam, Mixed Berry Jam, jellies, Bread and Butter Pickles, Refrigerator Dill Pickles and vegetables used for ourselves, often we used them to barter with other farmers.
Pickling peppers is a summer tradition in our household. Place them on top of your favorite ham and cheese sandwich or add to an omelet. You can even serve them with sharp cheddar cheese and crackers. Be sure and try Pickled Red Onions.
Why this recipe works
- Uses simple ingredients – Simple to find ingredients readily available at most grocery stores.
- Flavor – Creates a flavorful, crispy pickled pepper with only a few ingredients.
- Control the ingredients – Making homemade pickled peppers free of preservatives and any additives.
- Stock your pantry – Sealed with jars of homemade pickled peppers that will last up to 18-months.
- Surplus of peppers – The perfect home canning recipe for using a surplus of bell peppers or sweet peppers.
What you’ll need
- Bell peppers – We love a mix of vibrant colors of bell peppers, including green, red, yellow and orange. Cut them in half, remove the seeds and cut into slices.
- Apple cider & white vinegar – These two vinegars mixed together create the perfect flavor combination for the brine for pickling peppers.
- Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness to this recipe.
- Garlic cloves – We save time by purchasing pre-peeled garlic cloves in the refrigerated area in the produce section. Smash each clove with a chef’s knife to maximize the flavor.
- Whole peppercorns, celery seed and mustard seeds – Adds a pop of spice to these peppers.
These pickled peppers are super simple to make and you’ll be enjoying them all year long. As quick as I can make them, they’ve been consumed because they’re so addicting!
Canning equipment we love
- Mason jars – Easily locate them at Tractor Supply stores, Walmart and small independent hardware stores.
- Water bath canner – This large enamelware pot with tools will last a life time of canning. Order it here! You will need to water bath pickles to make shelf stable.
- Jar lifter – This is my favorite Ball jar lifter. It’s heavy duty built and rubber helps grip the canning jars well. You’ll use this to place jars into the water bath canner and remove after they are done.
With very simple canning equipment you’ll be making, jams, jellies, pickles and these Pickled Sweet Peppers.
All you need is the same Ball Water Bath Canner that your grandmother probably used. The same equipment she used, still works just as good today. Ball canning jars have been updated. You can re-use jars, but the lids need to be replaced with each new use.
How to make Pickled Sweet Peppers
- Make the brine – In a large pot combine salt, cider and white vinegars, water, sugar, garlic and spices. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat.
- Sterilize canning jars – Sterilize canning jars (either pint or quart jars) in the dishwasher or in a 16-quart canning pot.
- Stuff jars with peppers – Place the sliced peppers and onions into the jars. Press down to compact and make sure you have plenty of peppers and onions in each jar, as they will rise up to the surface during the processing.
- Add hot brine – Use a ladle to pour the brine into the jars over peppers, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles.
- Add seals and bands – Wipe rims clean with clean damp paper towel. Center the seal and apply the bands fingertip tight.
- Process in water bath – Place jars in water bath canner and process for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
- Wait 3-4 weeks – For optimal flavor, let the jars of pickled peppers sit and flavors develop for a few weeks.
Ball Canning has a great guide for anyone just getting going with home canning. They also have a great cookbook. It’s really simple canning sweet peppers and the jars will last unopened for up to 18-months.
More Home Canning and Pickle Recipes
- Bread and Butter Pickles
- Refrigerator Dill Pickles
- Mixed Berry Jam
- Raspberry Rhubarb Jam
- Barbecue Sauce
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Pickled Sweet Peppers
Ingredients
Pickled Sweet Peppers
- 1 tablespoon pickling or kosher salt
- 6 cups cider vinegar
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 4 cups water
- 6 cups granulated sugar
- 8-10 cloves garlic smashed
- ½ tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 4 ½ to 5 pounds red, green, and orange bell peppers sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 large onion halved and sliced thinly
Instructions
Pickled Sweet Peppers
- In a large pot, make the brine. Place the salt, cider and white vinegars, water, sugar, garlic, and spices in a large pan and bring to a boil over medium to high heat.
- Sterilize your jars in a 16-quart canning pot. Place the sliced peppers and onions into the jars. Press down to compact and make sure you have plenty of peppers and onions in each jar, as they will rise up to the surface during the processing.
- Using a wide-mouth funnel, ladle hot pickling brine over top of the peppers and onions, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rim with a clean, damp paper towel. Center the lid on the jar. Apply the band until the fit is fingertip tight.
- Place the jars in a water bath and process for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove from the water bath. Allow to cool completely on the counter for 24 hours. For best flavor, let stand for 3 to 4 weeks before enjoying. Store the jars in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
- Once opened, store in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Rachel says
Can you use Splenda instead of sugar.
Jessica Robinson says
Hello Rachel,
I’m honestly not sure. We do not use any sugar substitutions in our kitchen. If you are looking for slightly less sugar, you can certainly use less. Splenda or any artificial sugar will give it an “off” flavor.
Sharon says
Yes! I used truvia and they turned out perfect!
Jessica Robinson says
Very happy to hear that!
Judy Szydlowski says
Looks amazing! I prefer to can in pint jars, can this recipe be adapted for pint jars?
Jessica Robinson says
Judy,
Yes! You can use pint jars for this recipe. You’ll just need more jars. And yes, same processing time!
Sheila says
I just made two batches and I can tell already by the taste of the brine they are going to be fantastic.
Jessica Robinson says
Sheila,
So happy to hear that you are loving them! I can’t keep them in stock on our shelves when I make them! If you love these, definitely check out my recipe for Bread & Butter Pickles.
Christina says
Hello! can I use mini sweet peppers for this and use them whole?
Jessica Robinson says
Christina,
Yes, you can use sweet mini peppers. You can use them whole or just cut in half (so you remove the seeds).
Paula Potgieter says
Hi Jessica,
Can we leave out the onions?
Jessica Robinson says
Hi Paula,
You can certainly leave out the onions. But, I add them for flavor. We don’t really eat them.
Dawn says
I don’t have canning equipment, so can I do this as a refrigerated batch?
Jessica Robinson says
Hi Dawn,
You can also just use a large pot to water bath the jars. Or you can just refrigerate them. Either way will work!
Isabelle nicholas says
can i add white onions too ?
Jessica Robinson says
Isabelle,
Yes. One large onion sliced is in the recipe ingredients.
Cheryl Truitt says
Do you strain the brine before pouring it over the peppers?
Jessica Robinson says
Hi Cheryl,
No, I do not strain the brine. Just pour it over the jars of peppers.
Peggy says
If I have brine left over, can I can that too?
Jessica Robinson says
Hi Peggy,
If you have leftover brine, you can put it into a clean jar and refrigerate (add it to homemade potato salad, etc.)
Brittany says
This recipe looks fantastic! I can’t wait to try it out. Thank you for sharing!
Jessica Robinson says
Thanks so much Brittany!
Rick R says
Hi Jessica, I am late to this sweet pepper party board! I just made some with a combo of yellow, orange and red long sweet peppers. I followed your recipe exactly (I obviously haven’t tried them yet). I thought the amount of sugar looked like a lot but followed it. Will they be overly sugary?
Jessica Robinson says
They will not be overly sugary! So glad to hear that you made them!
Gail Simonson says
I am a 65yo first time canner. This looks like a good recipe to start with. I am looking forward to more recipes from you. Thank You
Jessica Robinson says
So glad you’re trying this one Gail!
Iris Claire Blutrech says
I Halved your recipe for 4 ( two cup jars) and was left with half the pickling liquid.
Can I refrigerate it to use later?
Jessica Robinson says
You can certainly refrigerate the pickling liquid and use it later. If you want to properly can something with it, you’ll need to heat it back up on the stove.
Marilyn Book says
Amazing pickled peppers. I had never had pickled peppers before but we had so many peppers in the garden this year we could not eat them fast enough. After freezing enough for the winter we still had so many peppers that I went looking for recipes. I am so glad I found yours. I am making a second batch because we have almost gone through the first . Thank you so much for sharing.
Jessica Robinson says
Thanks SO much Marilyn!! Glad to hear you are loving these delicious Pickled Sweet Peppers!!
Marilyn Johnson says
Jessica, I canned what bell peppers I had in the garden and have some of the liquid mixture left.
Would it be good to use with jalapeno peppers?
Jessica Robinson says
Hi Marilyn!
Absolutely! It would be perfect for Jalapeno peppers too!
Joseph says
Hello Jessica I am growing Corbaci peppers,, I will try your recipe , Im going to do them whole so I thought I should pierce a few holes in them so the solution can penetrate to the inside ,,not sure if that’s a good idea ?? I have read it was a rare pepper, Dam growing 20 varieties of peppers in raised beds in Texas , that way I will know what will grow well here …..First time reading your stuff , looked cause you had 5 stars, PEACEBEWITHYOU
Jessica Robinson says
If doing whole peppers, I would say remove the stem. That way the brine can get inside and around the outside of the peppers properly.