If you’re a backyard gardener, you’re probably used to having more vegetables than you know what to do with. Maybe you’re one of those people walking around the office or the neighborhood with a green banana peppers of zucchini, practically begging someone to take it off your hands.
There are just some veggies that grow like crazy. And the banana pepper is no exception. It’s easy to grow, comes in both sweet and hot varieties and is a good source of fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamins A and C. You’ll know when a banana pepper is ready to be picked because it’s yellow in color and the shape of a banana. Now that it’s the end of the growing season, and you’ve let your garden veggies ripen on the plants before you harvest, you’re likely to end up with a late bumper crop before your plants call it quits for the year. If nature’s given you plenty of those banana peppers, and you can’t eat them all the same day, don’t refrigerate them.
So, what do you do with a bushel of banana peppers? We’ve got 10 delicious creative ways to use them. Sure, pepperoni, mushrooms and sausage are great pizza toppings, but how about looking to your backyard garden for veggie toppings? It’ll be healthy and tasty at the same time.
Roll out your dough, leaving a border around the edge for your crust. Ladle on a thin layer of sauce, spreading it around with the back of the ladle. Next, place a layer of torn arugua leaves on the pie. Top with small sliced pieces of cured Italian salami. Top the whole thing off with sliced rings of banana peppers.
If you’re dealing with a serious bumper crop of banana peppers, think about pickling and canning them. That way you can use up a whole lot in one go, and also enjoy your banana peppers all year round. Plus, the pickled peppers are delicious in a variety of meals, especially on top of hamburgers and hot dogs during picnic season. And, “pickled peppers” is really fun to say. We won’t get into the details of canning here — if you’ve never canned vegetables before, read up on that first to ensure you sterilize everything safely. Following is the typical pickling recipe for banana peppers. Wash banana peppers and removed the stems.
Slice banana peppers into rings about a quarter inch thick. In a saucepan, bring add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Fill up sterilized canning jars with your peppers and cover with the boiling liquid. There are many different varieties of banana peppers. The Cubanelle is also a popular variety of sweet banana pepper, and it’s often used in salads. We’ve all seen stuffed green peppers. Not everyone likes the taste of bell peppers, though.
What about trying it with banana peppers instead? Banana peppers have a much milder taste than bell peppers, and bring a different flavor to the traditional dish. You can make stuffed peppers meaty or meatless, depending on your preference. Use about a pound of meat for every four good-sized banana peppers. Use mild or spicy, whatever your preference. Slice the top of the pepper, making it into a sort of flip-top. Brown sausage or ground beef in a skillet and set aside.