There are two ways to pickle chillies: quick fridge pickles that anyone can make in minutes, and water-bath canning for the pantry, which requires a tested recipe followed exactly.
Quick fridge pickles
According to Oregon State University, for about 1 litre (3½–4 cups) of sliced chillies or mixed vegetables with chilli you need:
- 1 cup (240 ml) vinegar
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt
- Slice the chillies into rings, or leave them whole and pierce them – wearing gloves.
- Bring the brine to the boil (California’s Master Food Preservers boil it for 2 minutes) and pour it over the chillies in a jar, leaving about 1 cm headspace.
- Close and refrigerate. Ready in 1–2 days.
Shelf life: refrigerator only. The University of California recommends using them within 2 weeks, Oregon State within 3 months – to be safe, go with the shorter time.
Canning for the pantry
For water-bath canning use only tested recipes, such as “Pickled Hot Peppers” from the US National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP). The rules:
- Vinegar must be 5% acidity. Do not alter the proportions of vinegar, water and vegetables, and do not use vinegar of unknown strength (NCHFP). Vinegars are sold in different strengths, so always check the label.
- In the NCHFP recipe, the vinegar-to-water ratio is 5:1; half-pint and pint jars are processed for 10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft (0–305 m) and 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft (305–1,830 m).
- NCHFP’s pickled jalapeño rings include a pickling-lime soak followed by rinsing – these steps are mandatory, do not skip them.
Exact quantities and steps are in the original NCHFP recipes linked below.
Safety: wear gloves when cutting hot chillies and do not touch your face. If you do not wear gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with soap before touching your eyes.
Sources
- NCHFP: Pickled hot peppers; Pickled jalapeño rings; General information on pickling
- Oregon State University Extension: Refrigerator pickled vegetables
- UC Master Food Preservers (2025): Quick refrigerator pickles