Pickled Peppers
Ever wonder what to do with those cello-bags of red, green, orange, and yellow mini-peppers? Once they're pickled, you can chop them into relish, make pimento cheese, add to pasta, give your omelettes some zing, or just eat them.
Ingredients
- 1 lb mini sweet peppers
Pickle Brine:
- 1 qt apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 piece star anise
- 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp red chile flakes
Instructions
- Grow or buy 1 lb. of mini sweet bell peppers of various colors. Rinse and place in a mason jar.
- Bring the ingredients for the brine to a boil in a covered pot.
- Place a 1-quart mason jar in a bowl to catch overflow and pour hot brine to the very top. Use a sauerkraut tamper, bean masher, fermentation weight, or spoon to smash down on the peppers so they all fit. Top off with brine and seal with a lid and ring.
- After 3 days the pickled pimentos are ready to use in recipes. Their crisp pickle texture will keep in the fridge for several weeks. If they get too soft, I still use them to flavor soups.
Notes
- This is not a shelf-stable canned product, it is meant to be a 'quick pickle' after a few days and then used in recipes or eaten.
- After a few hours or days the peppers will absorb some brine and release the air trapped inside. You can top off with leftover brine or just leave them sealed in the fridge until ready to use.
- The leftover brine is delicious and can be used again up to 3x to make even more pickles, in salad dressings, or to add a splash of acid in any recipe.