Quick to make with four ingredients, these Smoky Maple Pickled Chillies are a vibrant accompaniment to any dish where deeply flavourful sweet heat is needed.
The magical combination of apple cider vinegar, smoked salt, maple sugar, and finely sliced red chillies produces a two in one condiment; quick pickled chilli peppers that can be enjoyed on anything that needs a chilli fix, and a distinctive and piquant brine that is a delicious condiment in its own right.
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These quick pickled chilli peppers were inspired by my love of Italian pickled hot peppers, pickled jalapeño peppers, and a chance encounter with an Ottolenghi recipe that prompted me to recall that I could actually quick pickle peppers myself at home without any cooking involved. At the same time I was working with maple sugar in my kitchen, and the smoky notes of maple sugar suggested a partnership with smoked salt. As I was also developing a luscious, caramelized roasted squash recipe, I realized these peppers were exactly the finishing touch that I needed: something earthy, sweet, sour, and spicy to add bright, zingy, and flavourful heat to this dish and beyond. A-ha! A new recipe was born.
The magic of a flavourful brine
Here, the bright, sweet, sourness of apple cider vinegar, the woodsy salinity of smoked sea salt, and the earthy, mellow sweetness of maple sugar combine in harmonious alchemy to create a deeply flavourful brine, that is sweet, just salty enough, sour, fruity, and smoky. The brine takes the edge off of the chilli’s sharp heat, and the brine is, in return, infused with some of that spicy, citrusy warmth. Here the brine is a condiment in its own right, useful in a multitude of ways after the peppers have been eaten.
Ingredients
All you need to make Smoky Maple Pickled Chillies is 4 ingredients:
- Red finger or pencil chilli peppers
- Apple cider vinegar
- Smoked salt
- Granulated maple sugar
Four ingredients are all that's needed to create flavourful pickled chillies and brine!
Slicing chillies is the only prep work needed!
Making quick pickled chillies is short work
Making these pickled chillies takes mere moments and will reward you with a small batch of chillies, just enough to use up within a week or so. The delicious accompanying brine will last even longer, and can be used in an endless variety of ways. You can easily make up double batches as needed.
Two slender red chilli peppers are finely sliced and set aside for a moment. To create the brine, all that’s needed is to add the salt, sugar, and vinegar to a small jar with a tight lid. A bit of shaking to dissolve everything, and then the chillies are added. That’s it! The pickled chillies can be left for a bit to sit out to pickle just a little bit, and then are ready to store in the fridge and eat over the next week or so.
After measuring out the vinegar, add the smoked salt.
Then add the granulated maple sugar.
Swirl the brine around, or shake, to dissolve the sugar and salt.
Drop in the sliced chillies, and let sit for a bit before eating and then refrigerating.
Ways to use Smoky Maple Pickled Chillies
The pickled chillies themselves can be used anywhere you like flavourful heat: in sandwiches or on pizza, on top of roasted squash or alongside flavoursome white beans, to crown pan-fried halloumi or roasted vegetables, or literally anywhere that you would otherwise use chillies as an accompaniment.
The remaining brine can be used to replace straight up vinegar in a variety of recipes, from salad dressing to homemade mayonnaise (I’ll be right back, I need to make that right away …) or to garnish anything that could use the enlivening tang of something bright and spicy. Stir the brine into yogurt, sour cream, labneh, or plain hummus, use it to dress steamed greens alongside olive oil and sea salt, or simply sprinkle it in place of straight up hot sauce where desired. You may find yourself making these chillies just for the brine, it is that good!
Delicious dishes to top with Smoky Maple Pickled Chillies:
Smoky Maple Pickled Chillies
Ingredients
- 2 red chilli peppers thinly sliced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked salt I use maple smoked salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated maple sugar
Instructions
- Make the brine: using a clean glass jar, add the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Shake or stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add in the sliced chilli peppers and submerge in the brine. Let sit for a while on the counter and then enjoy! If there are any leftovers, store in the refrigerator for around a week.
- The brine left after the chillies are eaten will last longer and is deliciously useful in its own right, so don't throw it away!
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