Pickled peppers from Burgenland
What are Stekovics peppers? Pickled and ground products made from heirloom, sun-ripened pepper varieties cultivated by Erich Stekovics at Lake Neusiedl. Not standard canned vegetables, but rarities in a jar, each variety in its own premium vinegar, accompanied by sweet paprika powder from a stone mill.
Stekovics peppers are pickled pepper specialties and sweet paprika powder from Erich Stekovics, the "Tomato King" from Frauenkirchen. Cleaned by hand, sliced, and pickled in fine wine vinegar, these heirloom varieties retain their crunch and natural sweetness. You will find six pepper specialties gathered here, ranging from apple peppers to paprika powder.
Heirloom varieties, from "Altweibersommer" to apple peppers
Behind every jar is a unique story. The colorful "Bunte Spiral" pepper of the Altweibersommer variety looks like a chili but is actually mild, available in a 380 ml jar. The apple pepper is an heirloom, regionally typical variety with a satisfying crunch, grown in open fields—a top-selling, addictive choice in a 250 g jar.
The "Spätlese II" originally comes from Bulgaria, harvested late and packed in a 270 ml jar, with a depth that is almost jam-like. "Spätlese I," on the other hand, consists of sun-ripened tomato peppers grown in open fields, hand-cut, briefly seared, and delicately sweet.
Together with his wife, Priska, Erich cultivates these almost forgotten varieties in the fields by Lake Neusiedl, where the Pannonian sun provides long periods of warmth. From his collection of over 3,000 heirloom varieties, they have found a new home. Their peppers are fruity, spicy, and sunny, as Erich likes to say. The entire world of Stekovics ranges from peppers and tomatoes to chilis.
Each variety in its own premium vinegar
Stekovics does not pickle everything in the same brine. The Spätlese matures in Beerenauslese vinegar, the apple pepper in Welschriesling vinegar, the Spätlese II in Muscat vinegar, and the Bunte Spiral in tomato vinegar. Sometimes the pods are pan-seared in rapeseed oil beforehand or seasoned with garlic; the Mangalica pepper is even prepared with lard from the rare Mangalica pig, an old breed whose meat is considered a delicacy today. The Beerenauslese vinegar alone is a noble liquid that emphasizes the fine aromas of the pods.
This gives every Stekovics pepper its own character—sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy, sometimes with a fine acidity. The sweet paprika powder goes a step further: Pannonian pods dry on the plant, are destemmed by hand, and ground in three stages in a small stone mill. It reaches you in a 200 g bag as a vibrant red, mild, and fruity-sweet product. Truly impressive.
For snacks, cheese, and goulash
Pickled peppers are convivial companions—crispy, spicy, and sunny. Simply try the apple peppers as a snack, or the Spätlese as a sweet-and-sour side dish with cheese and antipasti, on toasted bread, or with poultry and vegetables.
For us, the paprika powder belongs in goulash, briefly sautéed with the onions in fat to preserve its sweetness and deep red color. Stored in a small, dark screw-top jar, it maintains its color intensity for many months. Our tip: a few strips of the Mangalica pepper on good bread with cream cheese—nothing more is needed. If you prefer it hotter, reach for the chili specialties; if you love fruitiness, try the tomatoes. This is how the Pannonian summer arrives in a jar and directly onto your plate.
