Mama Lil's Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers

These Hungarian goat horn peppers—a regional favorite in the Pacific Northwest—are produced in small batches based on a family recipe from more than 25 years ago. These pickled peppers are similar to peppadews but without the metallic aftertaste that peppadews are prone to. Packed with fennel and maple syrup, they have a complex—but not sugary—sweetness and moderate heat, with a flavor reminiscent of Italian sausage. They are as good straight from the jar as stirred into countless dishes—there’s little that Mama Lil's peppers can’t improve. Tuck the peppers into most any sandwich, or mince finely and stir into egg salad or your deviled egg filling (add a couple of anchovies too for a game-changing combo). Pile them on a burger or scatter them over homemade pizza—they'll even liven up pies delivered from your favorite pizza chain. Chopped fine, the peppers add a sweet-tart burst to most any tomato-based pasta sauce, especially our Pasta alla Norma or Pasta con Fagioli. Or add to stews and braises for a clarifying accent note, like our Tuscan Beef and Black Pepper Stew (Peposo alla Fornacina) or Roman Braised Beef with Tomato and Cloves. Or swap in any of our recipes where we use peppadew peppers, like our ultra-fast Skirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Peppadews.