Recipe: Pickled Pepperoncini

Pepperoncinis are one of our favorite peppers. Should you decide you'd like to grow your own, be prepared for gazillions of peppers. The plants are prolific! I only have two this year and we have so many pepperoncinis...Mr. Big Food went looking for a recipe to make pickled pepperoncinis as you would find on an ante-pasta try. He found one on eHow!

I disagree with Morgan O'Conner (below), though. On the Scoville scale, which measures pepper "heat," pepperoncinis come in at 100-500. Bell peppers are 0; pimento, 100-500; Scotch Bonnet habaneros, 100,000 - 325,000; police grade pepper spray, 5,300,000. (From Chiliworld.com)

“Pepperoncini, part of the pepper family, can add some heat to your dishes. They are not as spicy as many other peppers, so they are a good choice for those who do not enjoy extremely spicy food. You can stuff them, add them to soups and sandwiches, incorporate them into soups and stews, and even eat them plain. Pepperoncini are most often pickled rather than used plain. Pickling your own pepperoncini is a relatively simple process that can help you enjoy these peppers for months to come.”—Morgan O’Connor, eHow contributor

 

PICKLED PEPPERONCINI

Make 4 pints

2 quarts pepperoncini, washed under cold running water, dried gently, cut into desired shapes or left whole, with two slits cut into each if left whole (for pickling juice to penetrate)

2 C white vinegar

2 C water

2 tsp salt (pickling or canning salt preferred)

Bring vinegar, water, and salt to simmering in a saucepan. Pack peppers into hot sterilized jars. Pour vinegar solution into jars leaving ½ inch head space. Seal jars and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.