Things You’ll Need
-
Cutting board
-
Knife
-
Cooking pot
-
Stove
-
Peppers
-
Vinegar
-
Salt
-
Sugar
-
Peeled garlic cloves
-
Oregano
-
Dill or dill seed
-
Whole coriander
-
Ladle
-
Canning funnel
-
Glass jars with lids
Refrigerator pickles will keep for at least three weeks.
Whether you have a productive garden or scored a great deal at the grocery store, pickling can be a convenient way to preserve a bounty of peppers before they go bad. While the canning process can be intimidating if you've never done it before, refrigerator pickled peppers are a versatile and safe way to turn extra produce into a delicious snack or sandwich topping. You can adjust a pickled pepper recipe to reflect your spice preference by using spicy or mild peppers and by adding red pepper seeds or other spices to your pickling brine.
Step 1
Wash your peppers thoroughly. Slice and de-seed them if you do not want to pickle them whole. Wear gloves if you are cutting spicy peppers.
Step 2
Add 3 cups of vinegar, ¼ cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, several garlic cloves and the oregano, dill and coriander to your stock pot. Boil this mixture until the salt and sugar are both dissolved.
Step 3
Place peppers in the jars. Pack the jars with peppers before you add the brine.
Step 4
Ladle hot brine into the jars using the funnel to make it easier. Fill the jars almost to the top and put the lids on.
Step 5
Transfer the jars to the refrigerator when they are cool enough to handle.
Step 6
Brine the peppers for at least 24 hours before eating them.
Tip
Pickle fresh, crisp peppers. Varieties that work well are jalapenos, ancho chiles, bell peppers and sweet peppers, depending on the level of spiciness that you want.
Use any type or combination of vinegars that you have available. White vinegar, rice wine vinegar and red wine vinegar are all good choices.
You can pickle other vegetables along with your peppers. Carrots, onions and cauliflower work well.
Use or reuse any sturdy glass jar that you have available. Since these are not canned or processed you do not necessarily need canning jars.
Warning
These pickles are not water processed or canned so they need to be refrigerated. They will last at least 3 weeks and sometimes longer in the refrigerator.
