HelpfulGardener.com

Does anyone know how to make pickled Pepperoncini Peppers?
I have been trying for two summers. Did the research, bought seeds, raised the plants, got lots of peppers. The problem is that the peppers have ZERO heat and flavor. They taste like nothing and have no heat at all. Is the heat infused in to them during the pickling process by adding something to the brine?

I didn’t know the answer, so did a quick search for ‘pepperoncini peppers’ to see what kind of variety descriptions I might get … and got interesting results at first glance —

One article said it’s a generic name for hot Italian peppers, and the other one said it’s a generic name for sweet Tuscan peppers. Huh?

On second reading, the word for HOT peppers is ‘pepperoncino’, according to that article.

Maybe it’s that simple?

I think easiest way to compensate using the peppers you have, would be to replace a portion of the peppers in your recipe with hot peppers of your choice to add some heat.

BUT! Test these peppers you have by cooking in other ways like frying in olive oil, roasting, etc. If they really don’t have redeeming flavor profile, I guess there’s no point in pickling them.

I like the pickled pepperoncini that are available in the grocery store and thought to grow them myself. Store-bought have a little heat.

Pickling is a fairly unknown process altho I have tried a few times. The refrigerator pickling was okay and easy. However, the pepperoncini were So Hot that I couldn't eat them. Dog Gone It!

Perhaps there are various varieties and we know that different growing conditions make for difference in heat.

Steve

Steve.
The pepperoncini that you refrigerator pickled......... what peppers did you start with?
Were they pepperoncini? or another variety of hot pepper?

I should have been more clear.

The refrigerator pickles that I made a couple of recent seasons were with cucumbers. I'm Sorry.

The plan for using the peppers was tossed when I sampled them fresh and learned how Hot they were! It didn't occur to me that pickling might lower the heat. I'm now also sorry that I didn't experiment with them to find out.

Steve