My family loooooves padrón peppers and after a recent visit with them, which included a meal at a Spanish tapas restaurant (where padróns are usually on the menu), I felt inspired to pickle these compact little bites. This pickle recipe would also work with any small, mild peppers.
Padrón peppers are pretty easy to find during the summer and generally lack much spice (about 1 in 10 are hot). More helpful details about growth and heat factors here. I was surprised that I couldn’t find many other pickled padrón recipes out there but this is a nice video tutorial for one recipe and this is a pickled Shishito pepper that I’m sure could be applied to padróns as well. The video recipe calls for a quick sauté before canning but I just pickled them raw. They were a little tough so next time I make them I’ll probably try the quick cooking technique beforehand.
Pickled Padrón Pepper Recipe
Makes 3 pints
Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup kosher or pickling salt
- 1 tsp peppercorns per pint
- 1 tsp celery seed per pint
- 1 garlic clove per pint
- 3/4 lb padrón (or other small) peppers
Instructions:
- Bring the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil until salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Rinse and pat dry peppers.
- Add garlic, peppercorns, celery seed and peppers to jars. Remember, 1 tsp of both peppercorns and celery seed per pint.
- Cover with brine and seal.
- Recommended use: Since I didn’t cook these at all before, these need about a week to let the brine soften them. Enjoy on their own, in a salad or as a Bloody Mary garnish!