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Peter Piper had it right. Whether it’s by the jar or the peck, pickled peppers add a burst of sunny, salty brightness to everything they touch. Milder than a jalapeño and tamer than a pickle, pickled peppers deliver salt, acid and a dash of heat to salads, sandwiches, pizza and more.

Pickled peppers come in many forms — hot, medium and mild, whole and sliced, pepperoncini, wax peppers and that bright yellow newcomer, banana peppers. For this taste-off, we hit the condiment aisle and picked up half a peck — well, 5 pounds or so — of jarred peppers, sticking with the two most popular varieties: pepperoncini and banana peppers. Pepperoncini and their cousins, golden Greek, are sweet peppers with thin flesh.



They turn wrinkly and a bit sour when pickled, and they’re typically fairly mild. At 100 to 500 on the Scoville pepper scale, they’re hotter than a bell pepper (0) but much milder than a jalapeno (2,500 to 8,000). (By the way, the number of Ps in the name varies by country — they’re peperoncini in Italy and pepperoncini in the U.

S.) Banana peppers have smoother, thicker flesh, waxy skin and zesty, but mild flavor — 500 on the Scoville scale, if you’re keeping score. We threw both varieties into this lineup, rating them on flavor, texture and overall appeal.

Good peppers — no matter the variety — deliver vibrant vegetable flavor, pleasant texture and a welcome shot of clean brininess. Here’s the scoop on the pickled peppers worth the pantry space, a.

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