Preserved Chillies in Oil are an ideal way to enhance the flavour of a dish. I regularly make a batch, as I go through them so quickly!
The heat from the preserved chillies will depend on the variety you choose. I always buy the long, slender red chilli, and these generally have a deep warmth without an overt hit.
The heat of the chillies does seem to vary according to the seasons, but even when they are very mild they add a beautiful flavour.
Inspiration for the Preserved Chillies in Oil:
I first came across this style of chilli some years ago at our favourite pizza restaurant. The owner had a personal jar of preserved chillies, his own personal stash.
Knowing how much I enjoyed them, he brought them out whenever we dined there. This pleased him immensely, and his family had been making this style of chilli for generations.
I asked how they preserved the chillies and received some very vague instructions. There was, of course, no actual recipe, just an outline of what they did, so I interpreted and adapted this as best I could and was delighted with the result.
I have now been making these for many years, always having a jar on hand and finding them a useful accompaniment to roast meats, pasta or pizza.
It pleases me very much to be able to pass on the inspiration for this recipe to you also – the chillies are an absolute delight.
Ingredients in the Preserved Chillies in Oil:
Long Red Chillies:
The heat from the preserved chillies will depend on the variety that you choose. I always buy the long, slender, red chillies and these generally have a deep warmth without an overt hit.
The heat of the chillies does seem to vary according to the seasons, but even when they are very mild, they add a beautiful flavour. If you prefer very hot chillies you may like to add a couple of fiery, smaller chillies to your mixture.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
Extra virgin olive oil is the finest quality olive oil. It is naturally extracted by crushing the olives; crushing the olives releases their oil.
Wikipedia advises that this ancient practice has been in use since the Greeks began pressing olives over 5,000 years ago. Some lower quality oils are made using heat or chemicals to assist with the extraction of the olive oil.
I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil for the extra flavour it provides. In addition, it is at the heart of the much-praised Mediterranean Diet being an excellent source of healthy fat and health-benefiting antioxidants.
Cooking Salt:
For the vinegar brine, I use coarse kitchen salt, not fine table salt. This may also be known as kosher salt.
White Vinegar:
Distilled white vinegar is often recommended for pickles and preserves. However, you can also use white wine vinegar. They each will have an acidity content of around 5% and when combined with the salt assist in the preservation of the chillies.
How to Make the Preserved Chillies in Oil:
I carefully wash and dry the chillies thoroughly and remove the stalks. I then finely slice the chillies, seeds included.
In a non-reactive bowl (ie: glass or ceramic), I place the chillies. I then prepare a vinegar and salt brine, and cover the chillies with it.
The chillies sit in a vinegar and salt bath for 24 hours which removes some of their moisture and assists with the preservation.
After that time, they are drained, packed into a sterilised jar and completely covered with olive oil. It’s that simple.
They seem to last indefinitely as long as they remain covered with oil, but mine do not last that long.
Tips for Success:
It is important to select firm, brightly coloured, fresh chillies. They should have shiny skins without blemishes. Do not select any with wrinkled skin or soft spots.
Whilst long, red chillies are generally of mild-moderate heat, this is not always the case. For this reason, I recommend that you wear food-safe, disposable gloves when handling the chillies.
Avoid touching your face or eyes as the active ingredient, capsaicin, can irritate the skin and cause burning. Discard your used gloves and carefully wash your cutting board and knife.
Wash the chillies thoroughly in cold water and carefully dry them on a kitchen towel, before slicing them and placing in the vinegar brine.
It is important to soak the chillies at least 24 hours. On occasion, I have left them in the brine for 48 hours without ill effect. The acidic vinegar and the salt are the preserving agents in this recipe.
For freshness and to maintain a vivid colour, I prefer to make the batch size as specified. After topping the brined chillies with olive oil, wait for a few minutes. There will be some air pockets and the oil will drain further. Top up with extra oil if necessary.
To prevent the growth of bacteria, place the brined and drained chillies into a sterilised glass jar. Details for sterilising the jar are in the recipe below.
When it comes to serving the Preserved Chillies in Oil:
This recipe for Preserved Chillies in Oil will enable you to enjoy their spiciness all year. It is an easily prepared condiment which is a great addition to many dishes.
In fact, I have even been known to add it to my breakfast toast with tomato or mashed avocado.
It is delicious on top of pizza or pasta, salads, meat and vegetables.
I serve it with my Greek Chicken and Salsa and Mediterranean Beef Stew, to name a few!
More suggestions for these ingredients:
Long red chillies feature in these tasty recipes:
- Sweet Chilli Sauce
- Roasted Mediterranean Olives
- Baked Feta with Olives and Rosemary
- Tomato Chili Jam by Another Food Blogger
Other fantastic edible gift ideas:
Preserved Chillies in Oil make the perfect gift!
Here are some more ideas that work well:
Enjoy these delicious Preserved Chillies in Oil. I would love to know what you think in the comments below!
Alex xx
Chillies Preserved in Oil
Ingredients
- 200 gm long red chillies * stem and end removed
- 30 gm cooking salt *
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
To Sterilise the Jars:
- Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well. Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts.
Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F).
Place upright jars and lids on a baking tray. Heat in the oven for at least 20 minutes, then remove and allow to cool before filling. - Finely slice the long red chillies, seeds included. You may like to wear disposable gloves*.
- Place chillies into a non-reactive bowl, ie, glass or ceramic.Cover with a vinegar and salt brine, using a ratio of 20 gm of salt to 1 cup of vinegar.*Stir well, cover and leave for 24 hours.
- Drain well, place the chillies in a sterilised glass jar and cover with extra virgin olive oil. *
- There will be some air pockets; wait until the oil has settled, you may need a little extra.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Sounds fantastic. I’m about to do this with our millions of birds’ eye chilies. For the brave only!
Using birds’ eye chillies does sound heroic Alyson. 🙂 But I do hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
I love this recipe. Have made it a few times now and am very popular with my friends and family when I do extra to give away. The only thing I change is to use vegetable oil instead of olive oil as it stays liquid in the fridge whereas the olive oil solidifies when refrigerated.
Hi Tammy, I am delighted to hear that you, your family and friends enjoy these preserved chillies. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
super simple and effective;)
Hi Natalie, I am so pleased that you like the preserved chillies. Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Is it normal to have the vinegar smell even after soaking in oil?
I tried using for green chillis. Great method, thanks for sharing!
Hi Sophia! Yes, there will be a slight vinegar smell and taste because of the soaking.
I do hope you enjoy the chilli 🙂
Tried it with green chillies (couldn’t find red) and it worked nicely. Will try red chillies shortly and get some more jars to hand out to friends. Can I top up the jar with olive oil as we use it? Thanks.
Hi Alfonzo, I am delighted that you enjoyed the chillies, and they certainly do make lovely gifts. When eating the chillies, if the oil level lowers, I recommend that you top up the oil. (But don’t add any more chillies to the same batch) Enjoy the red ones too!! 🙂
Hi,
Looking at making this as i have so many left over chilies and don’t want them to go to waste. I have to questions?
1) Can i use organic apple cider vinegar?
2) Once you have done the soaking and now have them in oil can you turn it into paste? blitz them in a blender so you can hide it easier when cooking with children who will eat it if they don’t see it.
Hi Dee, I prefer to use regular white vinegar as it is more acidic and this helps to assist with the preservation of the chillies. After putting the chillies into oil, it would be best to make a paste only as you require it to avoid any bacteria entering. (As you’d be using more equipment eg: blender which is not sterilised). I do hope that you make the chillies Dee and look forward to hearing how you enjoy them. 🙂
Have gallon bag if big red jalapeños ,that didn’t get stuffed ,in freezer .. hate to trash can they be preserved ?
I haven’t tried this method using jalapenos but it should work, although you may prefer to remove their seeds and membrane. To keep the colour and flavour of the chillies I prefer to make a small batch. It is important to soak them in the salt and vinegar brine before covering with olive oil as this helps to preserve them. I do hope that you enjoy the chillies.
I am wondering if you sliced some garlic and included them in the brine whether it would help to preserve the garlic and add a garlic flavor to the oil? Have you tried this?
Hello Nikki, I have not tried this but my recommendation would be that you do not add garlic to the oil. It can cause botulism if not preserved carefully. If you would like to have the flavour of garlic with the chillies it would be best to add a little just before serving them. I hope that you enjoy the chillies.
With this lock down iv turned into a master chef😄 I use huge amounts of chilies and garlic.. but if never soaked chilies as I finish my jar easy too quick. Will be doing the soaking today..
Hi Theresa, soaking the chillies first is an important step. Soaking them in the vinegar brine assists with the preservation of the chillies. I do hope that you enjoy them.
Hi,
Can I keep topping up the jar with chillies? I’ve got a small chilli bush and we don’t use chilli all that often but I hate picking off 5 or 6 small chillies every week and having them go to waste if we don’t use…
Hello Skye, it would not be wise to top up the jar with chillies. Firstly, they need to soak in the vinegar brine and also I would not mix older and younger chillies. This may spoil the jar. You could use the same method to make a very small batch, or, so that your chillies don’t go to waste, you can freeze them, either sliced or whole.
Hi just wandering how long do they sat once preserved. I have a bunch of chillies and love this idea. Also do they need t in the he fridge once jar is opened. Thank you 😊
Hi Lucia, I have kept them for a month – mine go so quickly that I haven’t kept them longer. For the best flavour, I like to make them in small batches. Make sure that as you use them the chillies are kept covered with oil. I keep them in a cool, dark cupboard. You could keep them in the fridge but the oil will solidify. I hope that you enjoy them.
Hi. Has anyone tried the recipe with dried chillies?
Hi there,
We have only tried this recipe with fresh.
Kind regards, Alex
Have made this four times now. We go through them so quickly – but they really are that good. Come Christmas, will be making them as gifts for friends. Delicious
Hi Annalise, I am delighted that you enjoy the preserved chillies. They will make wonderful Christmas gifts. Thank you for letting me know.
Hi
Excited to be trying this out 🙂 However, I had bought green chillies along with red ones and now they’re still sitting in the salt and vinegar before i drain and transfer to jars later. I have noticed that the colour of my green ones isn’t as bright and vibrant as when i initially chopped them 🙁 Is this recipe only suitable for red chillies and not green ones? How do I keep the colour of green chillies in oil in the future?
Thanks
Hi there Muneerah,
We haven’t tried green chillies in this recipe – we have only made this using the long red chillies. 🙂
These look so good! I am obsessed with fermenting and pickling at the moment, so this is definitely on the list!
Hi Jaimie, I look forward to hearing how you enjoy the chillies. They are a favourite of mine.