Marinated Peppers

Canning marinated peppers is one of those pantry projects that pays you back all year. You do the prep once, and then you’ve got jars of glossy, tangy peppers in an herby oil-and-vinegar marinade ready for sandwiches, antipasto plates, tacos, pizza night, or a last-minute charcuterie board.

Canning marinated peppers is one of the easiest ways to turn a pile of fresh peppers into jars you’ll actually reach for all year. They’re bright and tangy like classic pickled peppers, but the real magic is the marinade.

This is a tested National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) water bath canning recipe. I know, it seems odd to add olive oil to a canning recipe, but this very recipe is the one we made during the Master Food Preserver Certification course that I took with the Cornell University Extension.

Because it contains oil, it’s important to follow the ingredient ratios and directions exactly so the jars are both delicious and properly preserved.

The oil gives the finished peppers a richer, deli-style flavor that works with everything from sandwiches to pizza night, without feeling like “just another jar of vinegar pickles.”

Ingredients for Marinated Peppers

Here’s what goes into the jars, with a few notes that matter for consistency and safety:

• Peppers (bell, Hungarian, banana, jalapeño, or a mix): The main ingredient, obviously, but the type you choose controls the final heat level and texture. Firm, fresh peppers hold their shape in the jar and stay pleasantly bitey instead of turning soft.
• Bottled lemon juice: Adds reliable acidity with a consistent pH, which is important for safety in a tested canning recipe. It also brightens the flavor so the finished peppers taste lively instead of flat.
• White vinegar (five percent acidity): The backbone of the pickling liquid. It provides the sharp tang you expect in marinated peppers and (along with the lemon juice) keeps the recipe safely acidic for water bath canning.
• Oregano leaves: Gives the jars that classic pizza-parlor, Italian-deli vibe. The flavor blooms in the hot pickling liquid and keeps developing as the jars sit on the shelf.
• Olive oil: Creates the “marinated” character, rounding out the sharpness of the vinegar and carrying the herb flavors. It also gives the peppers a richer mouthfeel, which is exactly what makes these so good on sandwiches and antipasto plates. The tested recipe says you can use olive oil or “salad oil” which is any vegetable oil, but olive oil tastes a lot better and it’s worth the splurge.
• Chopped onions: Adds savory sweetness and depth to the marinade. The onions soften slightly in the hot liquid and help the jars taste like something you’d find at a deli counter rather than a plain quick pickle.
• Garlic (optional): Adds a pungent, savory note that plays really well with the oregano and vinegar. It’s optional, but it’s a nice boost if you want more of that classic marinated-pepper flavor.
• Prepared horseradish (optional): Brings a gentle sinus-heat that’s different from chile heat. It makes the marinade taste sharper and more complex without necessarily making the peppers “hotter” in the jalapeño sense.
• Salt (added to each jar): Seasons the peppers all the way through and helps the flavor taste finished and balanced. It’s not there to preserve the recipe (the acid does that), but it makes a noticeable difference in how the peppers taste once they’ve mellowed in the jar.

Do not reduce the vinegar or lemon juice and don’t increase the oil. With marinated (oil-containing) recipes, those ratios are doing real preservation work.

You can use any type of pepper in this recipe, hot or sweet, just stick to the same total quantity.

All the seasonings are optional, and you can tweak them to suit your tastes with reasonable amounts of dry seasoning.  For example, you can use dried basil or parsly in place of dried oregano.  Just don’t add fresh spices, and if you choose to omit the horseradish, you can’t replace it with anything fresh or dried.

How to Make Marinated Peppers

Start by getting your boiling water canner heating and your jars ready, keeping the jars hot while you prep the peppers. 

Wash the peppers well, then leave small peppers whole and quarter larger ones, slashing two to four small slits in each pepper so the pickling liquid can move in and out and you don’t end up with trapped air pockets. If you’re working with hot peppers, put on gloves and be mindful about touching your face. 

For tougher-skinned hot peppers, it’s helpful to roast and peel them (but this is optional).  Blanch briefly or blister the skins using a hot oven, broiler, or range-top method until the skins loosen, then let the peppers cool in a covered pan with a damp cloth to make peeling easier. Peel as needed and flatten whole peppers so they pack neatly into the jars.

Once the peppers are ready, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, oil, onions, and any optional horseradish in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring well so the oil and liquids are thoroughly mixed. 

Add salt to each jar and tuck in a small piece of garlic if you’re using it, then pack the peppers into the hot jars.  Next, pour the hot, well-mixed pickling solution over the top, keeping 1/2 inch headspace.

Canning Marinated Peppers

Canning is optional, and you can simply store these jars in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. Personally, I like canning because it allows me to store them on my pantry shelf until I need them.

Take a moment to remove any air bubbles and re-check that you still have 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims carefully (especially important with oily recipes), and apply the lids and bands.

Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes (adjusting for altitude, see below), then let the jars cool undisturbed until sealed before labeling and storing.

Altitude Adjustments

This is a simple waterbath canning recipe, but it’s important to adjust the processing time to altitude to ensure safe processing. The altitude adjustments are as follows:

• 0–1,000 ft: 15 minutes
• 1,001–3,000 ft: 20 minutes
• 3,001–6,000 ft: 20 minutes
• Above 6,000 ft: 25 minutes

This recipe is only tested in pint or half pint jars, and the canning times are the same for both jar sizes.

Serving Marinated Peppers

These marinated peppers are one of those jars that instantly makes a meal feel more finished. I use them anywhere I want bright, tangy flavor and a little extra richness from the oil, especially on sandwiches and wraps where they add zip without any extra effort. They’re also perfect on an antipasto or charcuterie board, tucked alongside cured meats, olives, and cheese, and I’ll often spoon a little of the marinade over the top for extra flavor.

On busy nights, I’ll scatter them over pizza before baking or pile them onto sausages, burgers, and grilled meats the way you’d use peppers and onions from a deli counter. They’re great chopped into pasta salad, potato salad, or grain bowls, and if I’m making something simple like scrambled eggs or a rice-and-beans bowl, a spoonful on top turns it into something I actually look forward to eating. Because the oil and vinegar naturally separate in the jar, I always give it a quick gentle swirl before serving so you get a little of everything in each bite.

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