This mild, colorful, and tart-sweet pickle is the perfect condiment for a variety of savory dishes, as well as a zesty ingredient in salads and sandwich fillings. In fact, you may find this little “extra” an indispensable ingredient to have on hand. This recipe can be doubled or quadrupled for larger batches.
Yields 1 pint
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooling time: about 1 hour
2 bell peppers (red, yellow, and/or orange), seeded and cut into wide strips*
2 sprigs fresh thyme, tarragon, or oregano (optional)
½ cup olive oil
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
*You can also use halved mini peppers.
Pack the bell peppers and herb sprigs, if using, into a clean, dry pint jar with a lid.
Heat the oil, vinegar, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and sugar in a nonreactive saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour this hot brine over the peppers. The brine should cover the peppers; if it doesn’t, squeeze in another pepper strip or two. Put the lid on the jar. Allow the peppers to cool at room temperature and then refrigerate.
The pickled peppers will be ready to eat the next day and will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 months. Olive oil coagulates when cold, so before using, remove the jar from the refrigerator and allow the olive oil to warm to room temperature.
A simple everyday sandwich like cheese and mayo will transcend the usual with chopped pickled sweet peppers. Use as a colorful and perky garnish on savory dishes that need a bit of a lift.