Canned Hot Peppers in Oil
These canned hot peppers in oil are a must-make condiment to pair with sandwiches, salads, grilled protein, and more. Hungarian wax peppers with garlic, oregano, and oil!
I cannot believe it’s taken me so long to post this recipe—these canned Hungarian wax peppers have been in my dad’s family for generations. My grandmother used to make them every summer, my mom followed suit, and now whenever I am blessed with excess hot peppers, I make them, too.
It’s such a great gift to give as everyone loves them. Enjoy them on crusty-bread sandwiches, on pizza, in Greek-inspired salads, in egg sandwiches, really—anywhere you want a hit of heat.
Must-Know Tips for Success
My grandmother’s original recipe makes quite a bit of jars, 30 to be exact, but it’s easy to scale up and scale down depending on how many peppers you have. This is a great recipe to save whenever you have a bumper crop of peppers and yes, you can sub in other types of hot peppers. I prefer banana or Hungarian wax, but Anaheim will also work.
If you want really spicy peppers, you can use sub in serrano or jalapeno. You want to pack the jars fairly tight, so it’s OK if it feels like you are never going to get all those peppers in. Quite a bit goes into the jars.
I use my food processor for ease, but that means that I also keep the seeds in the peppers. As the seeds are the hottest part of the pepper, you may decide that you want to first remove the seeds and then thinly slice them.
Because I use my food processor, I don’t always use gloves. However, if you are cutting these by hand then I highly, highly recommend using gloves or else your hands will burn trying to slice through all of the peppers, especially if you have any cuts or scrapes on them.
You’ll need to store these in the fridge after water bath canning for food safety, because of the added oil. I have verified this with the Missouri Ag Extension office after testing this recipe. They can be stored in the fridge for a year after canning!
Everything You Need to Make These Canned Hot Peppers
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you double or triple this recipe?
Yes! I’ve quartered my grandmother’s original recipe as I don’t have the fridge space for 30 jars of peppers. But, if you want to gift these or make a lot, then I’ve included the original ratios in the notes section of the recipe card.
I have more peppers that fit in my jars?
This recipe is very forgiving. You should get about 8 16-ounce jars, but that will vary by how tightly you pack the peppers and how thinly you slice them. Because you will need to store these jars in the fridge after canning, you don’t have to be as precise.
Can you use other dried herbs?
Yes, you can use other dried herbs if you’d like instead of oregano. Dried Italian seasoning would also work. You can also use dried garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, if you’d like.
Can you use other oil instead of canola oil?
You can, but you’ll need quite a bit of oil for this recipe, which is why I prefer a more cost-effective oil, like canola. The safety of canola oils has been studied for decades and their effect is likely neutral, if not slightly positive, especially when replacing saturated fats in the diet. Extra-virgin olive oil has a stronger taste and will change the overall taste of the peppers, so I don’t recommend it.
Why do you have to store these in the fridge?
The addition of the oil requires the peppers to be stored in the fridge. I have worked with the Missouri Ag extension office to test these peppers, and they need to be stored in the fridge after canning for safety. However, they can be stored for a year after being water bath canned to seal.
How to Can Banana Peppers
Slice the peppers
Start by removing the tops of all of the peppers. If you want milder peppers, then you’ll want to remove the seeds. I don’t remove the seeds and I think the heat level is perfect, but I also really like spicy food. Thinly slice the peppers. I use my food processor to make this a very easy process, using the slicer blade and feeding the peppers through the shoot. If you use a knife, then I’d recommend wearing gloves to protect your hands (and later your eyes when you accidentally touch them!)
Cover in Vinegar
Place the sliced peppers into a large stock pan. You may need two pans depending on size and how many peppers you are doing at a time. Cover with the white vinegar overnight, or at least 8 hours. Drain. You can save the vinegar for the next batch, if you’d like.
Pack peppers in oil
Pack the peppers into sterilized pint jars. Slice the garlic (you can use your food processor for chopping as well). Add in the chopped garlic, I do about 1-2 sliced garlic cloves per jar and dried oregano. You can use as much or as little dried oregano as you’d like. I usually do ~1 tablespoon of dried oregano per jar.
Fill jars with oil
Fill jars with oil, wipe the lid clean and tighten with the lid. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool. Any jars that didn’t seal, you can reprocess or just eat within the next week and store in the fridge. I keep these for 6 months, storing either in the fridge or in a cool, dark space, like a pantry.
Canning Tips for Success
If you plan on canning often, I highly, highly recommend getting a canning kit that includes a funnel and a magnetic lid lifter to place the lids on and canning tongs.
The magnetic wand is a nice add, but not a must. I do think the canning tongs are a must as they easily grasp a jar and you don’t have to worry about them tipping in the water bath or touching the hot jars as you move them in and out of the water.
You must use enough oil to cover the peppers, leaving just ½ inch of headspace. This allows for expansion as the peppers heat up.
How to Water Bath Can
I have several canning recipes to try after you make these peppers. My best salsa for canning recipe has hundreds of 5-star reviews and it really is the best. I also have recipes for low-sugar strawberry jam, low-sugar blackberry jam, spaghetti sauce for canning and applesauce.
You’ll need to use clean, warm jars for canning. I use my dishwasher, placing only the jars and lids in the dishwasher and then rinse using the sterilized program.
If your dishwasher doesn’t have a sterilized option, then you can bring your water to a boil and place the empty jars and lids into the boiling water for 10 minutes to sterilize and warm through. Remove, then pack with peppers.
You can use any pot that you want, but for best results, you should have a wire rack at the bottom of the pot and set the jars on top. This allows the water to circulate underneath the jars to heat evenly. If you have a canning pot, then you should automatically have a wire rack that comes with it. Or, you can use any rack that fits into your pot.
Canned Hot Peppers in Oil
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 pounds of banana peppers
- 1 gallon white vinegar
- 10-12 cups canola oil*
- 10 large cloves garlic
- 8 tablespoons dried oregano
Instructions
- Slice peppers in a food processor using the slicing blade until thinly sliced. Alternatively, you can chop with your hands, but if you decide to do this, I highly recommend wearing gloves. I don’t remove the seeds because I like these hot, but you can remove the seeds for a less spicy version.
- Cover the sliced peppers with vinegar overnight, or at least 8 hours. Drain when ready to process.
- Pack the peppers evenly in 8, 16-ounce sterilized jars, then add 1 chopped clove of garlic in each jar along with 1 tablespoon of oregano.
- Fill jars with oil, leaving ½ inch headspace. Depending on how tightly you packed the peppers and how thinly they are sliced, you may need more or less oil. Wipe the rim of the jar clean with a towel, then place the lids on top.
- Bring a water canner or a large stockpan filled with water to a boil. Place the filled jars into the boiling water and process for 10 minutes. Remove and let sit on the counter overnight. Any lids that didn’t pop, reprocess or enjoy right away. Store in the fridge for up to 1 year.
Notes
1 bushel of banana peppers (about 25-30 pounds)
4 gallons of white vinegar
2 ½ gallons of canola oil
30-40 large cloves of garlic
1 ½ jars of oregano