How to Make Water Bath Canned Pepperoncinis at Home

Every other year I like to grow banana peppers in the garden so that I can get water bath canned pepperonicinis on my shelf!

The thing about banana peppers is just 3-4 plants will produce enough pepperoncinis for many years. You don’t have to worry about growing them every year, which is a goal of mine. 

If I can grow certain foods every other year, that really helps me during canning season to maximize my time. 

We currently have about 2 jars left from 2022. I did not grow or preserve any pepperoncinis last year because we still had plenty of jars. So this year I needed to grow them to re-stock. 

I grew 3 plants this year and that will provide enough for all of next year and the year after that!

What do I do with water bath canned pepperoncinis?

Once you have all your beautiful pepperoncini peppers in a jar, what do you do with them?

Water bath canned pepperoncinis are so good on sandwiches, in salads, or in a few different recipes. Adding them to recipes is a great way to give your dish some powerful flavor!

Our best way to use water bath canned pepperoncinis is in Pepperoncini chicken sandwiches. 

This is the simplest recipe you can make for those quick and easy lunch or dinners. You can throw in thawed or frozen chicken breasts, so it doesn’t matter if you forgot to take out the chicken or not. 

That definitely is a win in our house. Forgetting to take out the meat for dinner seems to be an ongoing issue in my kitchen.

Throw your chicken in a crockpot and pour a jar of pepperoncinis over top. Let it cook for 4-6 hours, than shred your chicken. 

Add your chicken to some homemade gluten free hamburger buns and you have a delicious meal in no time! 

We even like to add left over pepperoncini chicken to quesadillas. It is just another delicious way to use pepperoncini peppers to bring more flavor to ordinary quesadillas!

Looking for an appetizer or snack idea to use your pepperoncini peppers in? You can also use your pepperoncinis as appetizers! We like to roll up a piece of salami with some cream cheese and a pepperoncini in the middle. These make the best snack or appetizer for any party!

What equipment do I need to water bath can?

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​You do not need a pressure canner for this recipe. So if you are a beginner canner, this is a good place to start. 

The nice thing about water bath canning, is there is not a whole lot of equipment involved.Make sure you have some canning jars, I like to use pint jars for this recipe because it’s the perfect amount of pepperoncinis for my pepperoncini chicken sandwiches. 

You will also need new lids, rings, and basic canning supplies like a jar lifter, ladle, and wide mouth funnel. 

​Water bath canning can be done in a large stock pot with a rack, so if funds are tight you can just use a pot you have. That is the beauty of it! However, make sure you have a rack or a way to keep your jars off the bottom of the pot or they will crack with the heat.

However, you can find whole water bath canning kits for under $100 that will come with a jar lifter, wide mouth funnel, rack, and pot. This is the water bath canner that I have.

Once you have all your supplies, you are ready to start the canning process with this easy recipe. 

Let’s talk about the vinegar brine.

What turns these banana peppers into pepperoncinis is the vinegar brine you are adding over top. 

Not only does this brine make the best pepperoncinis, but it is going to have the right ingredients to preserve these peppers. 

With the salt and vinegar added to the brine you do not have to worry about this canning recipe being safe. The pickling process helps to keep this recipe safe to keep on your shelf. 

Making sure that you have hot brine, will ensure that your garlic cloves infuse into the brine and give your water bath canned pepperoncinis an added punch in flavor. 

You can’t find this kind of flavor in the pepperoncinis you buy at the grocery stores. 

In order for the brine to do it’s thing, make sure you aren’t cracking open a jar of theses delicious pepperoncinis for at least a couple weeks. You want the peppers to sit in the brine for a minimum of 2-3 weeks to really get the best flavor. 

That’s why trying to can for 2 years at a time is great. Your water bath canned pepperoncinis are packed full of flavor because they have been sitting in the brine for quite a while!

Ingredients:

• 7lb banana peppers (or fresh peppers of choice. Make sure to start with firm peppers)
• 2 quarts white vinegar
• 1 quart water 
• 1/4 cup pickling salt or sea salt
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced

How to water bath can pepperoncinis:

1. Wash peppers in a colander to remove any dirt or depris from the garden.
2. Slice peppers into rings, removing as much of the seeds as you can. I don’t worry about removing every seed. It just adds to the flavor, but I do try and get as many out as possible. 
3. Set your pepper rings aside to get the vinegar solution ready.
4. In a large stockpot add the vinegar, water, salt, and garlic cloves. Bring brine to a boil and stir occasionally to make sure the salt dissolves completely. 
5. While the brine is coming to a boil wash 4-6 pint size jars in warm soapy water. You do not need to start with sterile jars, but they do need to be nice and clean. 
6. Take hot jars and pack peppers into them tightly to the neck of the jar. As the peppers cook, they will float if they are not packed tightly.
7. Ladle the hot vinegar mixture into each jar leaving a 1/2″ head space. It is important to have the proper headspace when filling your jars so you get a good seal. 
8. Stick the back of a wooden spoon down into each jar to remove any air pockets or bubbles. 
9. Wipe the jar rim of each jar to remove any particles. The lids will not seal if there is anything on the rims. 
10. Place the lid and rings on each jar, finger tip tight. 
11. Place the jars into the canner and fill with water, so that the water covers the jars by at least 2″. Your jars should be completely submerged. 
12. Place your lid on the canner and bring the water up to a full rolling boil. You will not start your timer until you have boiling water in the canner. 
13. The processing time is 15 minutes, adjusting for your elevation. 

​Removing the jars from the canner:

1. Once the timer has gone off, turn your stove off and remove your lid.
2. Let the jars sit in the hot water in the canner for 5 minutes with the lid off. This will help to not shock the jars with the temperature fluctuation when removing them.
3. Remove each jar, using a jar lifter, from the canner and place on a clean dish towel. 
4. Let jars sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours. I usually wait until the next day before moving onto step 5.
5. Check each seal, remove the ring, and wipe down your jars. 
6. Label your jars with the contents and year. Store for long-term storage in a cool dark place, without the rings on for safety. It is always a really good idea to store jars without rings in case the lids ever become unsealed during storage. If the rings are on, the lids could potentially seal back down and you wouldn’t know it ever became unsealed. This is a safe practice I use for all canning projects and highly recommend it. 

If you have remaining ingredients left, usually I have some brine left, I just discard it. You could also save it in the fridge to re-heat on your next batch. 

These water bath canned pepperoncinis are the best and a simple recipe to start with for a beginner canner!