Sweet Pickled Hot Banana Peppers

The story behind this recipe was a little funny here at the Meadows of Simple Blessings.

A while back, on one of our trips to Texas, I bought some hot pepper rings. I remember my husband eating them, saying how good they were, and that he would like some more. I was so excited because I knew the exact peppers I needed to make them. The trouble was, I didn't have any last year, so I couldn't make them.

Well, this year, my friend Barbara Ann grew some in her beautiful, plentiful garden...And boy did she! She has had produce galore come from that beautiful garden, and I have been the most gracious recipient of more than one item of hers! In a round about way, I ended up with two plastic grocery bags of those beautiful peppers! Some of them I used in the Cowboy Candy from my last post. The rest I used in this recipe.

Oh, I was soooo excited to get these peppers! I was going to do something so special and exciting for my husband! He was going to be so excited and impressed that I was making the peppers he liked so much in Texas! I remembered the day I got the call to come get them. I practically danced along as I hurried to his shop to tell him where I was going!

The first day, I made the batch of Cowboy Candy. He didn't really say anything, but it was okay. They didn't look like the peppers I knew he liked. The second morning, I was just finishing up slicing all those peppers when he awoke and came to the kitchen. He finally just stopped and stared at the bowl of sliced pepper...Oh he must be so wowed that he is going to have so many peppers to enjoy!...Wait...no smile, only a confused look...huh???...Finally, he asked why I had sliced them all up. He was met only with my confused stare...What was I supposed to do with them? I'm making his peppers he liked so well!...I finally found the words to explain I was doing the peppers he had eaten, liked so well, and said he wouldn't mind more of. Again he just looked at me, finally tellling me these weren't the peppers he was talking about. He wanted the small, whole peppers. I was deflated and crushed! lol! What??? He had a good chuckle! Either he had forgotten about eating the rings, or I dreamed it. Either option was quite possible! :) Either way, I made lots and lots of pickled peppers, and today I share the recipe with you!

This is the recipe for the brine. I had to double or triple the recipe to have enough for all my peppers.

Pickled Hot Banana Peppers
4 c water
4 c white vinegar
1 c sugar
1/2 t turmeric
1 t mustard seeds
1 t celery seeds
1 clove of garlic for each jar
1/2 t salt for each jar
As many hot banana peppers as you wish to process sliced into rings.

In a large pan, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and celery seeds to a boil. (This brine may need to be multiplied depending on how many peppers you wish to process.) Pack hot jars with peppers leaving 1/4 inch head space. To each jar of peppers, add one clove of garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Pour hot brine over peppers to 1/4 inch headspace. Seal and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Process in Pictures:

Before slicing peppers, place your jars in your water bath canner to heat. Also go ahead and get your bine ingredients into the pot. Start heating that when you are almost done with slicing to save a little time.

Using gloves, slice your peppers into rings. Be sure do discard the stem. Yikes! I was almost ready to can before I remembered I was supposed to be taking pictures! If I remember correctly, this was right at six pounds of peppers.

Turn up the heat under your brine to start bringing it to a boil while you pack the jars. Pack the jars with peppers to 1/4 inch headspace.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and one clove of garlic to each jar. I didn't have fresh garlic, so I just used the canned minced garlic.

The garlic and salt can be put in the jars
first, if you like. Whatever tickles your
fancy is fine. :)

Make sure brine has come up to a boil.

Ladle the hot brine over the peppers leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Remove air bubbles, wipe the rim clean, and seal.

Aren't they so pretty!?

I had some leftover peppers and brine I didn't want to waste, so I threw them all in a jar, too.

Process pints in a hot water bath 10 minutes, and voila! Do not disturb your jars for 24 hours.

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Cowboy Candy with Hot Banana Peppers

It's been a terribly busy, but fun, canning season here in the Meadow of Simple Blessings!

I wanted to give you this quick little recipe in case you find yourself blessed with an abundance of hot peppers this year.

Traditionally, Cowboy Candy is made with jalapeno peppers, but it takes a lot of them. I was blessed with so many banana peppers from my friends Mari and Barbara Ann, that I knew immediately, I wanted to try to make the cowboy candy for my husband using some of the banana peppers. I also made a lot of regular Hot Pickled Peppers, too. I'll share that in the next post. This same recipe can be found in many Pinterest posts, so please do not think this recipe is mine. Mari, the same friend who gave me the peppers, actually gave me the recipe. When I had a question about the recipe and couldn't reach her, I tried to see if I could find the answer online. That is how I discovered the popularity of the same recipe! In case you haven't seen it before, I present it to you today!

Cowboy Candy with Hot Banana Peppers
3 lbs hot banana peppers, fresh and firm

          (Sweet peppers may be substituted.)
2 c Apple cider vinegar
6 c granulated white sugar
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t celery seeds
3 t granulated garlic
1 t ground cayenne pepper

Wearing gloves, remove stems. Slice peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside. In a large pot, bring vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seeds, garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Add pepper slices and simmer exactly four minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Turn up the heat under the pot with the syrup, and bring it to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for six minutes. Use a ladle to pour boiling syrup into jars over slices. Remove air bubbles. Seal. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for half pints or 15 minutes for pints.

Picture tutorial:

Wearing gloves, remove stems and slice peppers into rounds. Set them aside.

Just as as side note, I like to have everything as organized as I possibly can to help things run along quickly and smoothly. While I sliced peppers, I started heating the jars. I let them boil for a few minutes and leave them on low heat as I work so they stay hot until I need them. 

In a large pot, combine sugar, vinegar, turmeric, celery seeds, garlic, and cayenne. Bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.

While waiting for this to come to a boil, I cleaned up from cutting peppers and organized my work station so that I could fill jars as quickly and seamlessly as possible. I had the potholder to have a place to sit the hot pan when it was ready. I also had a jellyroll pan lined with a towel on which to place my hot jars when I was ready.

hmm...potholder is looking a little rough there! I told you it's been busy!

Please pardon the bell peppers and dehydrator. I was also working on dehydrating those at the same time.

Add pepper slices, and simmer exactly four minutes. Use the latter end of this time to move jars to your work station.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer peppers to hot jars, filling to 1/4 inch headspace.

Place the pan of syrup back on the stove. Turn up the heat under the pan with the syrup and bring to a full, rolling boil. Boil hard for six minutes.

Use a ladle to pour boiling syrup into jars over slices.

Remove air bubbles, seal, and process half pints 10 minutes or pints 15 minutes.

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Amish Peanut Butter Spread

Hi All!

I made this the other day, and my friend, Morgan, asked me to write up the tutorial ASAP. Ummm....I got busy and completely forgot about it. So sorry, Morgan! Here it is just for you and anyone else who would like to try it!

This recipe is not unlike several others out there except it was made very near the middle of Mennonite country here in Georgia. My family loves this stuff! Try it on rolls, bread, waffles, pancakes, the spoon, your finger, or whatever else may suite your fancy! heehee!

Amish Peanut Butter Spread
2 c brown sugar
1 c water
2 T light corn syrup
1 t maple flavoring
18 oz peanut butter
7 oz marshmallow fluff

Combine the first four ingredients in a saucepan; boil for one minute. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Mix peanut butter and marshmallow creme. Then add the peanut butter mixture to the boiled mixture. Beat well. 


For those, like me, who like the steps in photos....

Combine the brown sugar, water, corn syrup, and maple flavoring in a saucepan and boil for one minute. Remove it from the heat, and let it cool.

Mix the peanut butter and the marshmallow creme. I can't imagine trying to do it without a mixer!

Having a little helper is always fun! Poor buddy woke up that morning with
a terribly eczema outbreak.

Keep mixing!

Make sure to stop and scrape sides and bottom at least once while mixing.

Pour in the boilded mixture.

Sir Mix-a-Lot loves helping in the kitchen!

Beat well.

Getting there! Keep mixing!

Now! Oh my! Doesn't it look wonderful!? So smooth and creamy!

Pour into clean jars and enjoy! I was told to store my jars in the refrigerator.

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!