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There’s something magical about the way a well placed splash of acidity can brighten up a whole dish.

And these pickled banana peppers are a great vehicle for taking so many meals from fine to OMG so good!

Banana peppers get their name from their resemblance to bananas. They’re long and yellow and sometimes curve in a crescent shape like a banana. But the similarities end there.

These peppers are mild, with basically no heat to speak of. Which makes them friendly for kids and folks who don’t tolerate spicy foods well.

I’m not much of gardener, being a city dweller with no yard to call my own, but my understanding is that banana peppers are pretty easy to grow and the plants are quite prolific.

Banana peppers, de-seeded, on a cutting board with a knife

Which is probably why I ended up with several of them in a farm box last week (probably the same reason the box had some zucchini—time for zucchini fritters).

I didn’t have an immediate use for them in their fresh form.

They’re fine stir-fried or sauteed and decent raw. But they can also be kind of boring.

Sliced banana peppers in a bowl, champagne vinegar, sugar, water, and salt in bowls

So I turned to one of my favorite ways to prepare them, which has the added benefit of preserving them for later: pickling.

These quick refrigerator banana pepper pickles are ridiculously easy to make. (Much like this pickled rhubarb.)

It’s just a simple matter of slicing the peppers and removing most of the seeds, heating up some champagne vinegar, water, sugar, and salt (and spices if you want them), adding the peppers to a jar and pouring the brine mixture over the top.

Pan pouring brine over banana peppers in a jar

Dead simple.

Then you store them in the refrigerator until you want to use them.

Which will be pretty much all the time.

Quick Pickled Banana Peppers in a mason jar

I love them on pizza (with my favorite pizza dough and pizza sauce). And they’re great on salads or in grain bowls (they’d be welcome in this corn and tomato farro salad) and on sandwiches (or these squash blossom quesadillas) or scattered over meat or fish.

These pickled banana peppers add a lovely bit of acidity to just about anything savory.

You’ll be glad to have these in your refrigerator.

Yield: 1 pint

Quick Pickled Banana Peppers

Name: Quick Pickled Banana Peppers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups banana peppers (from about 3-4 peppers), deseeded and sliced about 1/4-inch thick; 3/4 cup champagne vinegar; 1/3 cup water; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds (optional); 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)

These pickled banana peppers are a great secret weapon to have in your refrigerator.

They can brighten up just about any salad, sandwich, or pizza.

And they're incredibly easy to make.

The spices are totally optional and highly adaptable. I like the combination of coriander and fennel seeds with the banana peppers, but mustard seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaf, citrus peel, or a clove of garlic would all be welcome here depending on the flavor profile you're going for.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups banana peppers (from about 3-4 peppers), deseeded and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
3/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)

Instructions

Add the sliced banana peppers to a 1-pint mason jar or other sealable heat-safe container.
Add the champagne vinegar, water, sugar, salt, coriander, and fennel (if using) to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Using a funnel, pour the brine mixture over the peppers into the jar to cover.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.