These delicious pickled cherry bomb peppers are easy to make and will keep in the refrigerator for months (although they probably won’t last that long!)
I finally got my hands on some cherry bomb peppers and was thrilled to pieces to come home and pickle them. Tis the season for pickling – and it is at this time of the year that an extra fridge would be such a blessing.
Cherry Bomb Peppers aren’t too common – at least where we I am here in the Southwest. They are fairly popular in many Italian homes. But that doesn’t matter to me — not only are they pretty to look at they are pretty amazing to pickle.
They are quite a bit different than the traditional pepper in that they are small and adorably red. Cherry hot peppers can get as big as a golf-ball, but I much prefer them on the smaller size so that I can fit more in a canning jar.
Pickled Cherry Bomb Peppers
Before you start pickling cherry bomb peppers, you want to decide on your jar. These cute (but hot!) peppers take up considerable space in any jar, especially if yours run a little on the large size.
A quart jar will pack more of the cherry bomb peppers than pints. I find that pints store easier in the refrigerator and they are easier to swap with friends and family.
If using quart-size jars, the narrow mouth work well. The shoulder helps “push” down the peppers to keep them submerged in the brine.
Before you start, you can slice a few slits in the peppers right where the stem and the red pepper meet. This isn’t absolutely required though. Slicing just allows the brine to permeate the pepper a little better than not slicing. Slicing near the stem is a great way to hide the cut without it being so visible.
It’s completely up to you though. If I’m in a crunch for time I’ll skip that part.
Once you are done, allow the peppers 24 hours in the refrigerator for the flavors to combine. You can can in your waterbath (instructions are included at the bottom of the recipe).
Scale the recipe if you have more than one pound of cherry bomb peppers. They won’t last long – they are absolutely delicious!
Pickled Cherry Bomb Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 lb cherry bomb peppers washed and dried
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 6 ea black peppercorns 3 per jar
- 1 tsp pickling spice
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 Tbsp cane sugar organic preferred
- 1 tsp salt pickling
- 2 C. vinegar
- 1 C. water
Instructions
- Place water, vinegar, salt and sugar in a pot and bring to a simmer, then turn off and allow to cool.
- Use a paring knife or kitchen scissors - trim the excess stem from your peppers and set aside. Slice 1 large or 2 smaller yellow wax peppers into thin rings and set those aside too.
- Place the cherry bomb and yellow wax peppers in your jar. Approx. one lb of peppers will fit between 2 pint wide mouth canning jars. Pack tightly.
- To each jar, add 2 cloves garlic, 3 whole peppercorns, 1/2 tsp pickling spice and 2 bay leaves.
- Pour cooled liquid over the peppers to 1/2 inch of the lip of the jar. Wipe rims. Apply seals and bands. Refrigerate for 24 hours before enjoying.
If canning in a water bath:
- Prepare waterbath, jars and lids prior to step #1.
- After applying seals and bands, process in a waterbath for 15 minutes.
If you make these peppers, let me know in the comments how they turned out!
Looking for more things to pickle? Try any of these below:
Wonderful! Made a large jar for weekend brunch. Thank you.