I Am Within: 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.