Pickled Pepperoncini
Pickled pepperoncinis are delicious and now you can make your own.
Servings: 4 16 oz jars
Ingredients
- 12 cups fresh pepperoncini peppers
- 4 cups white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups water
- 1/3 cup kosher or pickling salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 8 cloves garlic, 2 crushed cloves per jar
- 1/8 cup whole black pepper corns, approximately - 6-7 per jar
- 1/8 cup whole coriander seed, approximately - 6-7 per jar
- 1/8 cup dried red chili pepper flakes, approximately - 1-2 tsp per jar
- 4 small bay leaves optional
Instructions
- Wash and sort the pepperoncini. Using a sharp knife, make a split in the side of each, keeping the stem in tact.
- Wash and sterilize 4 - 16 ounce canning jars. Simmer the tops in water. Set a large canning pot to boil.
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, add 4 cups white vinegar and 4 cups water with 1/4 cup kosher or pickling salt and 1/3 cup sugar.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat.
- Stuff the jars with pepperoncini. **And I mean stuff! These peppers are going to shrink a lot in the water bath, so the more you can fit in the better they'll be.
- Crush 2 cloves garlic into each jar. Add 6-7 whole pepper corns and 6-7 whole coriander seeds, 1 tsp dried, crushed red pepper flakes and 1 bay leaf(if using) .
- Fill the jars to about 1/4 inch head room, then add the tops and then the rims, and close, but not too tightly.
- Process for 10 minutes in boiling water with at least 2 inches of water above the rims.
- Once done, let the jars sit, covered for 5 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the canner and let them sit, undisturbed for 24 hours.
- Any that did not seal can be refrigerated and eaten with a few weeks. Properly preserved, you can store the pepperoncini for up to a year. Refrigerate once opened.
Notes
**Pack the jars as full as you can with the peppers. Because they are fairly hollow inside, they will slowly fill with the brine. Let them sit a for about 10 minutes, top them with the brine once again before closing the jars and canning.
Homegrown pepperoncini peppers are generally thinner skinned than commercial peppers. In addition, this is a homemade method, without chemical additives of preservatives. Home Canning/Preserving these in a hot water canner will make the peppers very soft and delicate. The flavour is great, but they will not be crispy like the ones you might be used to on salads or antipasto. They are delicious, but very delicate and soft.
To make a crispier pepper, follow the recipe, but avoid canning/preserving. This method will make them refrigerator pickled pepperoncini. Keep them refrigerated and use within 30 days.