Looking for banana pepper ideas

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ihocky2

Fire Starter
Original poster
Dec 12, 2011
39
24
Lehigh Valley, Pa.
I am growing sweet banana peppers and hot banana peppers (hungarian wax) and the crop is starting to roll in. I am going to do the traditional sliced pepper rings to pickle but since I am the only one in the house who eats them a few jars lasts a long time. I am looking for some new ideas on what to do with them. I know a neighbor stuffed and canned them when I was growing up, no one can remember if he stuffed them with cabbage or sauerkraut though. I'm open to suggestions for either hot or sweet.
 
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Jar them up, keep what you think you'll need, give the rest to friends. Give the best you have, your generosity will be reciprocated X ten, and you will feel great! RAY
 
If you Search...Stuffed Banana Peppers for Canning...Some recipes with Sauerkraut pop up. In my younger days in NJ, we would buy Gallon Jars of Utica Stuffed Cherry Pepper. The cherry peppers were stuffed with a super flavorful ground mixture of Eggplant, Anchovies, they don't taste Fishy, Garlic, Herbs, Breadcrumbs and Grated Romano Cheese. They were amazing! The stores in PA dont carry them, only the Prosciutto and Provolone Stuffed Cherry Peppers, several recipes are available.. Anyway the Recipe below is close to what I've had. Its for 8 pounds of Cherry Peppers but I can't see why it would not make amazing Stuffed Banana Peppers. Maybe 2 to 3 pounds, depending on size. You will need to adjust for the volume Banana Peppers would hold...JJ

Note. The description says Sardines but the recipe uses Anchovies, not Sardines...I would probably leave out the Olives and Capers as I don't think they were in the peppers I used to buy...

 
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I've stuffed them with feta cheese and capped with thin sliced ham. Just core and pickle the peppers. Then stuff. And let them sit in either the brine. Or extra light olive oil.
 
Chef Jimmy kinda touched on it, but in the strip district of Pittsburgh they have a wonderful place, PennMac, which has the most delightful "pepper shooters". Banana peppers+provolone+prosciutto then soaked in a truly delicious oil. Extremely tasty.

Ive also had them stuffed with a spicy pork sausage mixture and then slow cooked in a red sauce and it was very tasty.
 
use them in any favorite stuffed jalapeno recipe , , also deep fried before or after you pickle them, we been deep frying jalapeno rings lately, 3/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup corn starch coat and into the freezer for 2 hours, if fresh salt and pepper but if pickled omit salt.
 
Chef Jimmy kinda touched on it, but in the strip district of Pittsburgh they have a wonderful place, PennMac, which has the most delightful "pepper shooters". Banana peppers+provolone+prosciutto then soaked in a truly delicious oil. Extremely tasty.

Ive also had them stuffed with a spicy pork sausage mixture and then slow cooked in a red sauce and it was very tasty.
Penn Mac is one of the highlights when we go to the strip. I must have overlooked the pepper shooters when we've been there....I won't do that again!
 
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I'm open to suggestions
I only have a couple pepper plants this year . No banana , but in years past I grew the sweet ones . I had so many I dried them out in my MES 30 . Some got smoked .
Ground some up for powder and left some whole . If you have a big crop , try drying some out .
 
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Penn Mac is one of the highlights when we go to the strip. I must have overlooked the pepper shooters when we've been there....I won't do that again!

Truly a must visit for anyone, in my opinion. They keep the pepper shooters in the deli case. I had had them before ever visiting and had to ask when I was there because I couldn't find them. You won't be disappointed!
 
I know you are canning traditional pepper rigs but one of the things my friends bug me for in the summer is the bread and butter hot banana peppers I do. I slice them down to big bite size pieces and man they are good. Very addictive plain and on brats, sausage and burgers. Here’s a post I did on them. Adjust the amount of picking spice and sweetener to your taste and of course you can use regular sugar instead of Splenda. https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...-a-day-of-smoking-pickling-and-baking.300157/
 
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If you like hot stuff...

We always called these Sanza Peppers, named for the village in Italy where our family came from. My Dad would make these every year.

Take your hot banana peppers and (while wearing gloves!) wipe them clean with a dry paper towel.
Open a slit longways down the side of the pepper. Put an anchovy filet inside the pepper longways.
Pack as many peppers as you can in a quart-size mason jar. Fill the jar with olive oil. Let the peppers sit in the oil, sealed in the jar for about 3 weeks. Dad always put the jars in the basement refrigerator but I think if you hot water processed the jars you could get away with a cool dry place. These peppers will be HOT HOT HOT and the anchovies will pretty much just break down and add a little salt and some depth of flavor over the 3 weeks. A tablespoon of the oil from the jar added to a dish of stew or better yet a nice bowl of pasta e faggioli or escarole and beans adds a little heat and lots of flavor. And of course you can use the peppers for anything you want.
 
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Thank you for all of the idea here. If nothing else it gives me a reason to plant more peppers next year. I always went light on the hot peppers since I am the only one who eats them in the house and never had much to do with them. These ideas give me a lot more reason to grow more and definitely sound like things my friends will enjoy.
 
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