Selecting the right salt, vinegar, and fresh spices is crucial for pickling peppers. Avoid using metal pots and jars with metal lids. Peppers should be covered in at least one inch of vinegar and left to ripen for two to four weeks. Use gloves when handling hot peppers.
When pickling peppers, selecting the right salt and vinegar is critical to the process. Fresh spices are also important, with significantly better results than powdered spices. Pots made of brass, copper or iron should be avoided, as well as jars with metal lids. Once the pickling is complete, the peppers will need between two and four weeks to ripen.
Table salt is typically used in the pickling process for peppers. Most table salt contains iodine, which is usually avoided because it has a tendency to discolor peppers. Look for salt that does not contain iodine for the best and most interesting results.
The type of peppers chosen for pickling and the individual recipe will determine what type of vinegar should be used, with cider vinegar and distilled white vinegar being the most common. Regardless of the vinegar variety you select, it’s best for those with an acidity of 5% (50 grains). A pinch of sugar can be used to soften the tart taste if desired. The peppers should be covered in at least one inch (2.5 cm) of cold vinegar for pickled peppers.
Using fresh spices often gives the best pickling results. Powdered spices make the vinegar cloudy and lack the taste of fresh ingredients. Pickling spices vary with each recipe, but common ingredients include cloves, mace, and ginger. Other common additions call for allspice berries, celery seeds, and a cinnamon stick.
Some metals can react with the vinegar and alter the taste of pickled peppers and for this reason brass, copper and iron pans should not be used for pickling. Instead, pots made of aluminum or stainless steel should be chosen. Enamel-coated cookware can also be used, as long as the enamel isn’t cracked or chipped.
The metal lids can also react with the vinegar, which has the potential to significantly alter the taste. When pickling peppers, jars with rubber seals are recommended for maximum adhesion without the ingredients touching the metal. Kilner jars, which have rubber-sealed glass lids held in place by clips, are considered ideal for pickling peppers.
Large peppers such as sweet peppers won’t fit in the pickling jars if they’re not cut up the first time. The white core and seeds must be removed from the chopped peppers and discarded. Smaller peppers can be pickled whole, but slits must be cut into the pepper to allow the vinegar to fill the cavity inside.
Many peppers are quite hot and you may need some protection when handling them. Wear rubber or plastic gloves to keep your hands free of irritants while working with them. Take special care to avoid touching your face and especially your eyes when pickling hot peppers.
Once the pickling process is complete, the peppers will need some time before they are ready to eat. Typically, pickled peppers should be allowed to sit for two to four weeks before they are ripe enough to eat. Pickles left too long, typically three months, are still edible, but usually begin to lose their freshness.
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