This might just become your go-to summer pickled sweet pepper and onion recipe! It’s incredibly easy to make, very rewarding and delicious. I love using these sweet and sour pickled peppers on top of pizza, hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches and subs. A perfect condiment to place on charcuterie boards or cheese boards.
This recipe is based on my standard refrigerator pickle recipe. No complicated canning necessary! Check out my essential summer pickles roundup post for more pickling ideas!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
This recipe uses standard pantry and fridge ingredients. I recommend making it during the summer months when seasonal produce is available and you can get some interesting peppers like the ones shown.
- Fresh peppers: This is a sweet pickled pepper recipe, so I am using sweet long Italian peppers. This specific variety is called Jimmy Nardello (If interested, check my pepper varieties blog post to learn more). Any sweet pepper will work here, so feel free to use sweet banana peppers, sweet bell peppers, sweet mini peppers, etc. If you’re looking to pickle some spicy peppers, check out my 10-minute pickled jalapeno recipe and my pickled banana peppers recipe.
- Onions: I’m using white onion here, but you can use yellow or red onion. Or omit the onion completely. It’s up to you. Also, if you love onions, I highly recommend you try my Mexican pickled onions recipe!
- Spices: Mustard seeds have a classic pickling flavor profile. I highly recommend you add them. They also give the final pickle a nice crunch and bite as they pop in your mouth.
- Sugar: Clearly this is a sweet recipe. My goal with this recipe is to turn these peppers into a sweet and sour condiment. You can use less sugar if you prefer.
- Acid: I am using apple cider vinegar as it gives the final product a gorgeous tangy and sour flavor without being overpowering. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white vinegar, rice vinegar, or even white wine vinegar.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Pickled Sweet Peppers
This is straightforward and simple recipe, but I recommend you read through all the steps first to get your bearings.
Step 1. Make pickling liquid. To a pot, add the sugar, salt, mustard seeds, garlic, water and apple cider vinegar.
Step 2. Boil and cool the pickling liquid. Bring the pickling solution to a boil on medium-high heat and make sure the salt and sugar are dissolved. This should only take a minute or two. Once dissolved, turn off the heat and set the pot aside to cool slightly.
Step 3. Prepare peppers and onions. Slice peppers and onions thinly. It’s optional, but you can discard the pepper seeds if you like.
Step 4. Pack the jar. Pack peppers firmly into a mason jar.
Step 5. Pour pickling liquid. Pour the vinegar mixture over the sliced peppers and onions. Tap the jar to release any air bubbles and make sure everything is submerged in pickling liquid.
Step 6. Seal and refrigerate. Seal the jar and set it aside to cool completely to room temperature and then place in the fridge. The pickled peppers will be ready within 24 hours.
Expert Tips
- Fresh is best! This recipe is on rotation at my home all summer long when my pepper plants are producing more peppers than I can handle!
- Change up the flavor profile. Feel free to add other spices to the jar. Coriander, whole peppercorns and bay leaf could work well. Check out some of my other pickled recipes for some flavor profile ideas (Mexican Pickled Vegetables, Giardiniera and Vietnamese pickled carrots)
- Want to skip the waiting period and make quick pickles? Use a large saucepan and add the peppers and onions to the boiling pickling liquid, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, cool, and transfer to a jar. This quick-picking method is perfect if you’re in a rush and can’t wait a day or two for the peppers to naturally pickle in the fridge.
- Remove the seeds. If you’re not a fan of pepper seeds, feel free to remove them. You’ll get a much more professional-looking product that way.
- Refrigerate! This recipe is not tested for water bath canning. It is a refrigerator pickle, meaning it must be refrigerated!
- Grow your own! Ok, you know I am a big proponent of growing your food, and growing peppers is easy. Check out my post on the best peppers to grow in your garden.
- Use glass mason jars! Avoid pickling in plastic or metal containers. Glass is the safest. You can use a large canning jar or smaller half pint jars if you plan to gift these peppers. If using smaller jars, make sure to divide the ingredients equally and to use the same brine ratio. Feel free to scale the recipe down for a small batch.
Recipe FAQs
At least 24 hours. The peppers will get better with time as they pickle slowly in the fridge, but I would recommend a minimum of 24 hours.
Because of the high sugar and acid content, these peppers should last in the fridge for 4 weeks or more. Always use clean utensils and not your fingers when grabbing pickles from the jar to make sure you’re not introducing any bacteria that can spoil the batch too quickly.
I always recommend using glass canning jars even if you don’t plan to use a water bath canner. Canning jars (or mason jars) are sturdy and safe for pickling.
Other Pickle Recipes
Preservation
Levantine Recipes
Preservation
Levantine Recipes
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Pickled Sweet Peppers and Onions
Equipment
- ¾ quart mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 cup Apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup Water
- ⅔ cup Sugar – Use less if you prefer
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt, sea salt or pickling salt
- 1 teaspoon Yellow mustard seeds
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 2 lbs Sweet peppers
- 1 Onion
Instructions
- Make pickling liquid. To a pot or small saucepan, add the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt, mustard seeds and garlic cloves.
- Boil and cool the pickling liquid. Bring the pickling solution to a boil on medium-high heat and make sure the salt and sugar are dissolved. This should only take a minute or two. Once dissolved, turn off the heat and set the pot aside to cool slightly.
- Prepare peppers and onions. Slice the peppers and onions thinly. It’s optional, but you can discard the pepper seeds if you like.
- Pack the jar. Pack your clean mason jar firmly with the sliced peppers and onions.
- Pour pickling liquid. Pour the pickling liquid over the sliced peppers and onions. Tap the jar to release any air bubbles and make sure everything is submerged in pickling liquid.
- Seal and refrigerate. Seal the jar and set it aside to cool completely to room temperature and then place in the fridge. The pickled peppers will be ready within 24 hours.
Notes
- Peppers: This is a sweet pickled pepper recipe, so I am using sweet long Italian peppers. Any sweet pepper will work here, so feel free to use sweet banana peppers, sweet bell peppers, etc.
- Onions: I’m using white onion here, but you can use yellow or red onion. Or omit the onion completely. It’s up to you.
- Spices: Mustard seeds have a classic pickling flavor profile. I highly recommend you add them. They also give the final pickle a nice crunch and bite as they pop in your mouth.
- Sugar: Clearly this is a sweet recipe. My goal with this recipe is to turn these peppers into a sweet and sour condiment. You can use less sugar if you prefer.
- Acid: I am using apple cider vinegar as it gives the final product a gorgeous tangy and sour flavor without being overpowering. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white distilled or even white wine vinegar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Hi can you still process in a water bath canner to seal the jars for a longer storage time
This recipe was not tested for canning. It’s a refrigerator pickle.
Great pickled pepper recipe. Almost as good as your bagel recipe on Pinterest. Thanks