Pickled Mini Peppers balance the natural sweetness of mini peppers with tangy vinegar and a touch of heat from crushed red pepper flakes. They’re crisp, colorful, and easy to keep on hand for adding to sandwiches, salads, grain bowls, or snacking straight from the jar.

Pickled Mini Peppers – A quick-pickle recipe with tangy vinegar, sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Great for adding to sandwiches, salads, or cheese boards.

Table of Contents

Easy Pickled Peppers Recipe

Mini peppers have a naturally sweet flavor and a crunch that holds up well to pickling. Their small size makes them easy to slice into rings or strips, and they add a pop of color wherever they’re used. In this quick-pickle recipe, white wine vinegar brings acidity, sugar balances the tang, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes gives gentle heat without overpowering.

Once packed in the brine, the peppers start to take on the pickling liquid right away, but the flavor gets better over time. While they’re fine after a day in the refrigerator, a couple of weeks will give them a fuller, more rounded taste.

Garden Tips for Growing Mini Peppers 🌱

Start Indoors: Mini peppers need a long growing season. Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before the last frost date, then transplant outdoors once the soil is warm and nighttime temperatures stay above 55°F.

Pick the Right Spot: Choose a sunny location with well-draining soil. Peppers thrive with at least 6–8 hours of sunlight daily.

Spacing: Plant mini pepper seedlings about 12–18 inches apart to allow airflow and reduce the risk of disease.

Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. Water at the base to avoid wetting the foliage.

Harvesting: Pick mini peppers when they’re fully colored and firm. Frequent harvesting encourages more fruit production.

Growing Season: Mini peppers grow best in summer heat and continue producing into early fall.

Ingredients for Pickled Mini Peppers

Mini Sweet Peppers: Firm, brightly colored peppers work best. Slice them into rings or strips before packing them into the jar.
White Wine Vinegar: Adds acidity for pickling while keeping the flavor slightly softer than standard white vinegar.
Water: Balances the vinegar so it’s not too sharp.
White Sugar: Adds sweetness to complement the peppers and soften the acidity of the vinegar.
Kosher Salt: Essential for flavor and preserving the peppers.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Adds gentle heat to the pickles without making them overly spicy.

How to Make Refrigerator Pickled Peppers

Step 1: Fill the jar.
Add all of the sliced mini peppers to an 8-ounce jar.

Step 2: Make the brine.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat.

Step 3: Combine.
Pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jar with the peppers, covering them completely.

Step 4: Cool.
Seal the jar with a lid or cover with plastic wrap. Let it cool to room temperature.

Step 5: Refrigerate.
Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. For the best results, allow 2–3 weeks for the flavors to develop fully.

Do I need to sterilize the jar?

For quick refrigerator pickles, washing the jar thoroughly in hot, soapy water is enough.

Can I reuse the brine?

For best quality and safety, make a fresh batch of brine each time you pickle.

Storage

Keep pickled mini peppers refrigerated in their sealed jar for up to 2 months. Always use a clean utensil to remove peppers from the jar to help them last longer.

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