Earlier this week, someone asked a question on the Food in Jars Facebook page about canning giardiniera. It’s a spicy mixed pickled that frequently includes a bit of olive oil. I directed that person to a recipe from a trusted source and she wrote back, questioning the safety of the recipe because of the inclusion of oil.
It was a good question. Lots of people have been told that canning with oil is dangerous and in a sense, it is true. Canning a product that is packed only in oil in a boiling water bath canner is a definite no-no. However, if you’re making a pickle from a tested, trusted recipe that has plenty of acid and it includes a small amount of oil, it is okay.
While I’ve not made the giardiniera that I linked to (though it looks quite good!), I have made a batch of roasted and marinated peppers, following a recipe similar to the ones that Kaela, Shae and Julia posted (they are the jars pictured on the right of the image up top). They turned out just fine. Truly, the only thing you have to worry about when working with recipes that contain small amounts of oil is doing a good job of wiping the jar rims, so that no oil residue is left behind. A small dab of white vinegar on your cloth helps.
One more canning fear put to rest!
No worries. Thanks, I’ll look at these. 🙂
Not sure I can back to where I started but I did find this:
Marisa McClellan of the blog Food in Jars has discussed giardiniera in the context of canning and preserving foods that contain oil. In a 2018 blog post, she addressed the safety of canning products that include small amounts of oil, mentioning giardiniera as an example.
The comment said you sent a link to the woman asking about canning giardiniera with oil. The recipe had a small amount of oil and you thought it was safe. I was hoping you still had the link. Thanks again, Laurie
Got it. Thanks for the clarification. My guess is that I might have sent them a recipe from the Local Kitchen blog. Perhaps this one. It’s not for giardiniera, but for a recipe that includes a goodly amount of oil.
https://localkitchenblog.com/2012/08/19/garden-antipasto/
Or it might have been this one. The one from the National Center for Home Food Preservation is particularly helpful in that it is from a scientifically backed canning resource and the pickles include a healthy dose of oil.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle/vegetable-pickles/marinated-peppers/
I’m really sorry that I don’t have the exact link you’re looking for.
Hi! Just found this page. Love your books. They are my canning go to’s. Can you direct me to the link you gave the other woman with the question about giardiniera? My membership to your FB page is pending so I couldn’t look it up on the site. Thanks! Laurie
Hi Laurie! Thank you so much! I am so sorry, but I’m not sure what link you’re referring to. I’d love to help if possible, but I need more information! Thanks!
I bought white beans in jar with olive oil in Germany for 8 years. Why can they make them and we cant
Commercial canning methods allow for more unique products than we are able to achieve at home. I do understand your frustration, though.
The Blonde Italian makes a pesto for bruschetta and past that has a lot of olive oil in it and it’s canned so something must be okay with it.I read that the oil can cover bacteria molecules and not allow them to get hot enough to kill them .
I would not can a recipe with a whole lot of oil.
I have made tomatoes with A measure of clarified butter and Olive oil in the batch mix can I candies tomato safely and if not why not
This post details why it isn’t advised to can things containing oil. I don’t know how else to explain it.
I read the link on Canning Green Bell Peppers. Thank you for that. It was very informative.
I forgot to mention that the peppers in oil are hot peppers (not sure if that makes a difference). I see that the recipe for green peppers calls for lemon juice which is an alternative to citric acid in other recipes. I will note this adjustment in my future canings with oil. Thank You
Hot peppers and sweet peppers are both low acid vegetables, so it doesn’t matter which kind you use. Good luck and be safe!
Wow, I have been canning peppers in oil -just oil no vinager- for decades. Thankfully I’m still here. Now that I’m concerned if I was to add acid to the bottom of the jar as I do with my tomatoes sauce would that remove any concerns and not compromise the taste. Thanks
The steps laid out in this blog post are best practice for canning peppers. https://localkitchenblog.com/2011/08/13/marinated-green-bell-peppers/