October is a month for Pickled Peppers!

National Pickled Peppers Month is an annual foodie holiday Observed every October. That’s right, a whole month dedicated to chowing down on these tasty snacks that are actually pretty healthy for you!

Health Benefits of Pickled Peppers

Since an ounce of pickled peppers is only 7 calories, you can eat these bad boys until you’re blue in the face and you don’t even have to worry about weight gain or a bloated belly. 

Speaking of bloated bellies, pickled foods contain probiotics. During the pickling process, live microorganisms are introduced. These microorganisms are linked to numerous health benefits when consumed, including weight loss, improved digestion (hence the lack of bloat), enhanced immune function, better skin, and a reduced risk of many diseases.

Tongue Twister

This alliterative food is not only fun to eat, it’s fun to say.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

The tongue twister “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” was first published in 1813 in Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation by John Harris. However, the tongue twister likely predates this publication and may have been part of oral tradition before it was printed. 

The book was a collection of tongue twisters intended to help children learn pronunciation. The tongue twister is believed to have been inspired by the story of “Peter Pepper,” a man known for his garden of spices. Some theories suggest that the character of Peter Piper may be based on Pierre Poivre, an 18th-century French horticulturist and spice trader.

Did You Know…?

  • The average American household purchases pickles and pickled peppers every 53 days.
  • Pickled Peppers last a looong time. It’s actually nearly impossible for them to go bad at all because of the acidity of the juice they’re stored in. Pickling preserves these veggies because it submerges them in a brine of vinegar and salted water with herbs and pickling spices like dill, coriander, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
  • The most common peppers to be pickled are banana peppers, Cubanelle peppers, bell peppers, sweet and hot cherry peppers, Hungarian wax peppers, Greek peppers, serrano peppers, and jalapeno. 

How to Observe Pickled Pepper Month

Why, eat some, of course! You can easily find pickled peppers in your nearest grocery store, or hey, make some pickled peppers of your very own! Here’s a great recipe from The Roasted Root to get you started.


Photo Credit: nld / Shutterstock.com