Extension > Food > Food Safety > Preserving and preparing > Vegetables and herbs > Marinated peppers
Marinated peppers
Recommended Processes
Boiling water bath
Half pints or pints, 20 minutes
Ingredients
Bell (not hot), Hungarian (hot), banana (hot or not hot), or jalapeņo (hot)
- 4 lbs. firm peppers
- 1 cup bottled lemon juice
- 2 cups white vinegar (5%)
- 1 Tbsp. oregano leaves
- 1 cup olive or salad oil
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic, quartered (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish (optional)
Yield: About 9 half-pints
Caution: If you select hot peppers, wear rubber or plastic gloves while handling them or wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face.
Procedure
Select your favorite pepper. Peppers may be left whole. Large peppers may be quartered. Wash, slash two to four slits in each pepper, and blanch in boiling water or blister in order to peel the tough-skinned hot peppers. Peppers may be blistered using one of the following methods:
Oven or broiler method:
Place peppers in a hot oven (400° F) or broiler for 6-8 minutes or until skins blister.
Range-top method:
Cover hot burner, either gas or electric, with heavy wire mesh. Place peppers on burner for several minutes until skins blister.
Allow peppers to cool. Place in pan and cover with a damp cloth. This will make peeling the peppers easier. After several minutes of cooling, peel each pepper. Flatten whole peppers. Mix all remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Place ¼ garlic clove (optional) and ¼ teaspoon salt in each half-pint or ½ teaspoon per pint. Fill jars with peppers, add hot, well-mixed oil/pickling solution over peppers, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.
Note: It is possible to adjust the intensity of pickled jalapeņo peppers by using all hot jalapeņo peppers (hot style), or blending with sweet and mild peppers (medium or mild style).
For hot style:
Use 4 lbs. jalapeņo peppers.
For medium style:
Use 2 lbs. jalapeņo peppers and 2 lbs. sweet and mild peppers.
For mild style:
Use 1 lb. jalapeņo peppers and 3 lbs. sweet and mild peppers.
Reviewed by Suzanne Driessen, University of Minnesota Extension educator, 2010.
Contact the Food Safety team: 
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