This giardiniera canning recipe makes a big batch of the pickled pepper and vegetable condiment that is a beloved staple of Chicagoans. Maybe you already know and love this ingredient, or maybe you just watched The Bear and want to know what the heck all the fuss is about? Heard, chefs.

Or maybe, you’re a displaced Chicagoan homesick for the taste of this classic condiment that we like to put on just about everything, looking for a giardiniera canning recipe to recreate that Taste of Chicago (you probably don’t go there, that’s for tourists, but we love you too, visitors).

jars of homemade chicago-style giardiniera sitting on a counter top.

I found myself in this boat when I lived in California for awhile. The Bay Area has amazing grocery stores and specialty markets and local shops with every imaginable thing under the sun… except for the one thing I craved. Oh, the horror!

No need to 86’s this from your menu even if you live where you can’t walk into any grocery store and choose from six or eight different kinds on the shelf.

You can make your own Chicago-style giardiniera wherever you are!

This one is medium-hot. You can vary the proportion of sweet and hot peppers to make it mild to extremely spicy, just as you like it!

How do you use giardiniera?

Enjoy generous scoops of this spicy pickle on an Italian beef sandwich or sausage, of course. I also like it on hot dogs or a Polish sometimes, instead of (or in addition to) mustard, onions, & kraut.
This condiment naturally adds a zesty crunch to other sandwiches too. It’s great on a classic pepper and egg sandwich along with sauteed sweet peppers on a crusty Italian bread roll, or layered with thinly sliced Italian deli meats or marinated eggplant, sliced tomato, and provolone or fresh mozzarella cheese.
Like pepper & egg sandwiches? Try this flavor combo but in quiche form!
I put giardiniera on pizza, in pasta and potato salads, on scrambled eggs or omelettes, or on a bowl of cottage cheese with cracked black pepper for a snack.
Blend it with shredded and cream cheeses, and you can make a spicy pizza spread for bagels or crackers, or thin this spread with sour cream to make a spicy veggie dip.
If you have extra giardiniera brine leftover from canning, or when you finish a jar, it makes a great starter base for a spicy Italian vinaigrette dressing for green salads or pasta salads! Or use it for a steak marinade, or add it to a crock pot when doing a roast.
Or sometimes, I just eat it with a spoon out of the jar. We won’t judge… just use a clean spoon and no double dipping, ok?

labeled ingredient photo for chicago-style giardinera recipe.

Do I have to can this recipe?

Not necessarily! You can also store the giardiniera as a fresh refrigerator pickle, without canning, in boiled or sterilized jars for a short period of time.

This will give you the crunchiest pickle, since it isn’t heat-treated, but a much shorter shelf-life. Discard any jars that show signs of mold or spoilage, and make sure you keep the jars in the fridge to extend their shelf-life and help prevent mold or botulism growth. I would not recommend freezing this pickle.

If you go this route, you may want to make a smaller batch unless you have a large family, a small restaurant, or are giving these as fresh homemade gifts… or if you eat a LOT of giardiniera.

title image for post. a bowl of cut vegetables in brine marinating before canning, text box reads, "water bath canning recipe how to make chicago style giardiniera alewyfe.com"

How to can your giardiniera

A full batch of this giardiniera canning recipe should yield about 12 pints. You can also use half-pint or smaller jars but I don’t recommend canning it in quarts or anything larger. If you would like to reduce the recipe volume, do it proportionally and reduce every ingredient by the same factor.

It’s ok to use larger jars if you’re storing this in the fridge as a fresh pickle instead of water-bath canning it, but smaller jars will get used up faster after opening and can reduce the chance of cross-contamination and spoilage in either case.

If you are canning your giardiniera, follow the recipe proportions and directions exactly for vinegar and spices for food safety, but also note that this is not a USDA-tested recipe… Do not decrease processing times or quantities of vinegar, lemon, & salt. Make sure the pickled vegetables are hot when you pack the jars, and can at your own risk!

You can pressure can this pickle instead if you prefer, though the texture of the finished product will be softer and less desirable, so I don’t recommend this.

chop vegetables & salt them:

Wash and chop the peppers, onion, celery, carrots, and cauliflower and combine in a large stainless or plastic bowl or food-safe 2-3 gallon bucket.
Add the salt and mix well to distribute. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. The salt will draw moisture out of the veggies and is essential for crispness and safety (so the pickling brine is not diluted when the vegetables release their excess moisture).

rinse veggies:

Drain and lightly rinse the excess salt off the veggies. Taste them- they should still be very salty (more like a caper than a dill pickle) but not unpalatable. Remember that the acid in the pickling brine you make next will balance the salt.
Return the drained and rinsed veggies to the mixing bowl and add the olives, garlic, and seasonings. Mix well to combine.

prep canner & jars

Prepare your water-bath canner and jars. Fill canner or stockpot with water and bring to a boil, and place a jar rack, false bottom, or heat-proof trivet in the bottom of the pot.
Clean and sanitize your jars. Wash well with hot soapy water, rinse, and boil. It is not absolutely necessary to boil the jars before canning them but it can’t hurt, so I always do, especially for a mixed pickle like this. Cleanliness is key in safe canning!
Count out your new canning jar lids and wash them in hot, soapy water (do not boil modern canning lids!). If you are using reusable canning lids, follow manufacturer directions. Check over your lid rings to make sure they are sound (dents in the rings can cause seal failure).

Make brine & heat veggies:

In another pot large enough to hold your entire batch of giardiniera, heat the vinegar, olive brine, and lemon juice. Bring the brine just up to a low simmer.
Add the oil to the hot brine, then add the bowl of salted and rinsed veggie mix. Stir and bring the whole mixture almost back up to a simmer.
When the giardiniera is hot all the way through (at least 190-212F), it’s ready to jar. This may take some time if you are doing a big batch. Stir it often and be patient!

a pot of chopped brined and pickled vegetables for chicago style giardiniera about to be canned

fill jars with hot giardiniera mixture:

Using tongs, carefully remove the preheated canning jars from the water bath and place them on a sheet pan or countertop lined with a kitchen towel.
Using a slotted spoon and canning funnel if possible, evenly distribute the hot vegetable mixture among the jars, leaving an inch of head space at the top of the jars.
Divide the remaining liquid evenly between the jars, and use a small spatula or the handle of a wooden spoon to press down and remove any trapped air bubbles from the jars. If needed, top up with more vinegar (you can mix vinegar and hot water 1:1) to cover the vegetables with brine. Do not add more oil than indicated in the recipe.
If you are using Pickle Crisp, add an 1/8 tsp to each pint jar now (or half that for smaller jars).
Using a clean washcloth or paper towel, wipe the rim of the jar with distilled vinegar or vinegar and hot water to remove any oil or residue that would interfere with the jar seal.
Put the lids and rings on, screw down fingertip-tight, and carefully put the jars in the preheated canner.

can the giardiniera:

Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes (start the timer only after all jars are in the canner and the water returns to a rolling boil). I like to let my jars rest in the canner for an additional 5 minutes after turning off the heat. This can help prevent siphoning.
If you need to do process your jars in batches, keep the other jars hot while the first batch is processing.
Remove jars from the canner using canning tongs and place on a kitchen towel or wire rack to cool.

cool and check jars:

Check your jars for seals after they have completely cooled (I like to let them sit overnight, but wait at least 8 hours before removing the rings).
Metal canning lids will have the safety button fully indented and a strong seal with the jar. Other styles of lids will hold without the use of clips or jar rings and have a strong vacuum seal to the jar.
Refrigerate any jars that didn’t seal, and use those first.
You can also reheat and reprocess these jars with new lids within 24 hours, but this will make the giardiniera even softer, so I recommend just refrigerating it unless you have a lot of seal failures or a bad batch of lids.

Pantry storage tips

Wash and label your jars clearly, and make sure that you remove the canning rings for storage. If any of the jars lose their seals in the pantry, you should throw out the contents of that jar (without tasting them) and sterilize that jar before reusing it again. Toss any preserves that show signs of mold, bubbling, off flavors or smells, or that make a hissing sound when you open the jar as if they are under pressure.

Store the rest of your jars in a cool & dark pantry or cupboard. Once canned, like most home-preserved items, your giardiniera will have the best flavor if used within 12-18 months. They should be safe to eat for longer than that as long as they were properly canned and stored, the jar seals are intact, and the lids are not rusted on the inside, but fresher is better, even with pickles and preserves!

jars of home-canned Chicago-style giardiniera

Chicago-Style Hot Giardiniera

Alewyfe

This makes a big batch of the pickled pepper and vegetable condiment that is a beloved staple of Chicagoans. Enjoy generous scoops of this on an Italian beef sandwich or sausage, pizza, pasta salads, sandwiches, on eggs, or just eat it with a spoon out of the jar. We won't judge!

This one is medium-hot. You can vary the proportion of sweet and hot peppers to make mild to extremely spicy as you like! If you are canning this, follow the recipe proportions and directions for vinegar and spices for food safety, but also note that this is not a USDA-tested recipe. Do not decrease processing times or acidic ingredients and can at your own risk!

You can pressure can this instead if you prefer. This recipe should yield about 12 pints (you can also use half-pints or a combination of smaller jar sizes, but do not use quart jars if you are canning it).

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 1

Cook Time 25

Water-Bath Processing Time 20

Course Canning Basics, Condiments

Cuisine American, Chicago

YIELD pints

Equipment

1 Water Bath canner or large stockpot tall enough to cover the pint jars with at least an inch of water and room to boil
12-24 canning jars and new lids (pint or half-pint) I use reusable Tattler lids for most of my canning but use metal if you will be giving these as gifts
canning funnel
jar lifter or non-slip tongs
a jar rack that fits in your stockpot or canner is also helpful

Ingredients

vegetable mix:

4-8 oz serrano peppers, sliced with seeds you can vary the amount and proportion of serrano and jalapeno peppers within these ranges
2-6 oz jalapeno peppers, sliced with seeds
4-5 large bell peppers, seeded and diced I used a mix of colors- red, green, yellow, and orange
1 lb celery hearts, sliced on bias or diced
1 lb carrots, diced or small baton cut
1 head cauliflower, chopped in small florets
1 jumbo yellow onion, large dice
1 cup kosher salt (you can use canning salt but reduce volume by about half)

add after rinsing:

1 12 oz jar green olives with pimento whole or sliced, reserve/add brine
3 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
2 tsp fresh cracked coarse black pepper
2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbsp dried oregano
½ tsp garlic powder

giardiniera pickling brine:

½ cup lemon juice
1 cup reserved brine from olives top up with lemon juice or vinegar if not a full cup
3 cups red or white wine vinegar 5% acidity
2 cups distilled white vinegar 5% acidity (check the label, some discount stores are selling 4% and they're not interchangeable)

add with vegetables after brine simmers:

2 cups olive oil or a blend of olive oil and light neutral oil

add to each pint canning jar (optional):

⅛ tsp Pickle Crisp (calcium chloride granules) optional but adds quality. 1/8 tsp per pint jar.