What pickling does to heat
Capsaicin, the compound responsible for chilli heat, is not water-soluble and is not destroyed by vinegar, so a pickled chilli is not fundamentally less hot than a fresh one.
What changes is the perception. Acid and salt shift how the heat reads, the flavour of the chilli itself becomes sharper and more rounded, and some capsaicin migrates into the brine — which is why the vinegar becomes hot and the chillies become slightly less so.
The result is that a pickled chilli is easier to use in quantity. Where one fresh bird's eye would be too much, several pickled slices are usable and add acidity as well as heat.
The method
Ten minutes, and they are usable within days. FoodHQ does not publish acidity figures, brine strengths or keeping times, and does not say which pickles are safe unrefrigerated. Those are safety numbers set by a food safety authority; in the UK the Food Standards Agency is the authority. Use a recipe from it or from a body with the same standing, and treat this page as the explanation of what the method is doing.
- Choose firm, unblemished chillies. Almost any variety works — jalapeño, serrano, cayenne, bird's eye, or a mixture.
- Decide whether to slice or leave whole. Sliced take on the brine within a day and are ready to use; whole keep longer and stay firmer, and need pricking so the brine can get in.
- Wear gloves if you are handling a lot, and keep your hands away from your eyes afterwards regardless.
- Pack them into clean jars with garlic cloves, whole peppercorns, coriander seed, oregano and a bay leaf.
- Warm vinegar with water, a little sugar and salt until dissolved. White wine, cider or plain white vinegar all suit chillies.
- Pour the warm brine over to cover, making sure nothing floats above the liquid. Seal with vinegar-proof lids.
- Refrigerate, or follow Food Standards Agency guidance if you intend to keep them out of the fridge.
What to do with them and the brine
- Sliced on tacos, pizza, a sandwich or a burger, which is the standard use.
- Chopped into a dressing or a salsa, where they supply heat and acid together.
- Whole, alongside a rich stew or a plate of grilled meat, in the Mexican and Middle Eastern habit.
- The brine as chilli vinegar — a few drops on chips, greens, a bowl of soup or a pot of collards. This is a Southern American staple and it is excellent.
- The brine in a bloody mary, or in a marinade.
- The brine to deglaze a pan for a quick sharp sauce.
- Blitzed into a hot sauce with the brine, garlic and a little sugar.
Notes
- Whole or sliced
- Sliced are ready in a day and easier to use. Whole stay firmer and keep better.
- Pricking
- Whole chillies need a few pricks with a knife tip or the brine cannot get in and the chilli floats.
- Floating
- Chillies float. Pack them tightly or use a small weight so nothing sits above the brine.
- Colour
- Green chillies dull slightly; red ones hold their colour well.
- Heat in the brine
- Builds over weeks. An old jar of chilli vinegar is considerably hotter than a new one.
Common questions
Does pickling make chillies milder?
Slightly, as some capsaicin moves into the brine, and the acidity changes how the heat reads. They are not fundamentally mild.
Whole or sliced?
Sliced for convenience and speed. Whole for firmness and longer keeping — prick them first.
Why do mine float?
Air inside whole chillies. Prick them, and pack the jar tightly or weight them down.
What do I do with the vinegar afterwards?
Use it. Chilli vinegar on chips, greens or in a dressing is one of the best by-products in the kitchen.
Which chillies work best?
Almost any. Jalapeños are the most versatile; a mixture looks good and gives a range of heat.
Try this next
- Chilli the varieties and their heat
- How to make quick pickles the general fridge method
- Vinegar what the brine becomes
- Food too spicy if it gets away from you