Sweet Pickled Jalapeños and Banana Peppers make delicious condiments. You can put them on tacos, sandwiches, pizzas, salads, omelets, and many other meals. I use my peppers fresh off the plants throughout the summer. Then, in the early fall, I do a mass harvest of everything that is left. I usually vacuum seal and freeze my bell peppers and poblano peppers for using in fajitas and quiches. But, the jalapeños and banana peppers are easily preserved by slicing and canning them in a sweet and tangy pickling juice.
Pin this for Later!
I also like to mass harvest at the end of the year because some of the peppers will have turned orange or red by that time. The addition of a little color makes the jars of sweet pickled jalapeños and banana peppers look so pretty in my glass-front pantry cabinet.
Recipe for Sweet Pickled Jalapeños and Banana Peppers
List of Supplies:
Jar Lifter and Wide Mouth Funnel
Mason Jars with Lids and Rings
Sharp Knife (I like the small serrated knives)
Slotted Spoon
Ladle
Large Cooking Pot
Peppers (either Banana or Jalapeño)
Sugar (I prefer Raw Sugar, but any type will work)
Water
White Vinegar
Preparing the Peppers
After being blanched by the hot pickling fluid, the peppers pack into the jars really well. So, it can take as many as 25 medium sized peppers to fill a pint jar.
Don’t forget, when handling hot peppers, to wear gloves or wash your hands immediately after with hot soap and water.
- Cut the stem end of the peppers off and discard.
- Slice the peppers (I actually prefer a serrated knife for this). Cut the slices between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. This does not have to be exact, by try to make the slices as uniform as possible.
- NOTE: I do not de-seed my peppers. But, if you want a milder flavor for your jalapeños, then you could de-seed them before slicing.
Making the Sweet Pickling Fluid
The fluid is a “1 to 1 to 1” ratio of:
- Water
- White Vinegar
- Sugar
I usually estimate 6 cups of each to do 4 quart jars of Sweet Pickled Jalapeños or Banana Peppers. The sugar will dissolve and does not add to the volume of the fluid. So, you would have 12 cups of fluid using these amounts. This usually leaves me with a little leftover fluid. (Which I am okay with – there is nothing worse than running out of pickling fluid in the middle of a canning project.)
NOTE: As long as you keep the ratios the same, you can make any amount of this pickling fluid depending on how big of a batch you are making.
Pro Tip: Use one of your mason jars to measure the fluid. Most of them come with a 1 cup mark on the side of the jar. So, you can get an exact 1 cup measurement without dripping any fluid over the edge of a measuring cup.
- Put all the sweet pickling fluid ingredients into a large pot on the stove.
- Turn the burner on a medium-high setting and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Continue to stir it periodically until it is on a rolling boil (the fluid continues to boil even when you stir it).
Blanching the Peppers and Packing the Jars to Make Sweet Pickled Jalapeños or Banana Peppers
- Turn the burner off
- Pour the pepper slices into the fluid.
- Let them sit for 2 minutes stirring them a couple of times.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers from the sweet pickling fluid and fill your sterilized mason jars.
- Leave 1 inch of headspace.
- Using a ladle and a canning funnel, pour the sweet pickling fluid on top of the pepper slices until the jar is full (leave 1/2 inch of headspace).
- Wipe the jar rims to make sure they are clean and dry to ensure proper sealing.
- Put a new lid on with a new or sterilized ring and screw it on tightly.
Canning Sweet Pickled Jalapeños or Banana Peppers
- Follow the directions found here for Water Bath Canning.
- Process them in the boiling water bath Canner for 20 minutes.
- After removing them from the canner, leave them undisturbed on your counter for 12-24 hours to ensure they have fully cooled and a proper seal has been achieved.
- Before storing them, check the seal by removing the band and carefully lifting the jar by the flat lid. If the lid comes off, then it did not seal correctly. Put the jar in the fridge and consume over the next 2 weeks.
- If a proper seal was achieved, then store the jar in a cool dark area. It should last for a year.
Recipe Synopsis
- Slice the Jalapeño or Banana Peppers (approximately 25 medium ones per pint jar).
- Prepare the pickling fluid using a 1 to 1 to 1 ratio of water, white vinegar, and sugar.
- Bring the pickling fluid to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat off.
- Pour the pepper slices into the fluid.
- Let them sit in the fluid for 2 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
- Using a slotted spoon, fill the sterilized jars with peppers. Leave 1 inch of headspace.
- Then, fill the jars with the pickling fluid (pouring it on top of the peppers). Leave 1/2 inch of headspace.
- Wipe down the rims of the jar to insure they are clean and dry for proper sealing.
- Place the lids and rings on the jars and tighten them.
- Following USDA guidelines for water bath canning, process the peppers for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath.
- Remove the jars from the canner and allow them to sit on the counter for 12-24 hours until fully cooled and sealed (the button in the center of the lid can no longer be depressed).
- Check for proper sealing by removing the ring and gently lifting the jar by the lid to see if it comes off or not.
- If the jars did not seal, store them in the refrigerator and enjoy them over the next 2 weeks.
- If they did seal properly, then store them in a cool and dark place for up to a year.
Add these Sweet Pickled Jalapeños or Banana Peppers to my Mexican Sourdough Pizza!
Shop this Post
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain our own. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure here.