Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Tested source
This page follows the National Center for Home Food Preservation recipe for Pickled Pepper-Onion Relish. Keep the tested ingredient proportions, jar sizes, headspace, preparation steps, and altitude-adjusted processing schedule.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare: Set up the boiling-water canner and keep the permitted jars hot.
- Measure: Prepare the peppers and onions to the tested measurements and reduce the cooked mixture to about half its original volume.
- Cook: Follow the tested heating and simmering sequence without shortening it.
- Fill: Hot pack; leave 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process: Process for the altitude-adjusted time below.
- Cool: Leave jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check seals.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- Sterile half-pint jars; pints are also permitted, lids, and bands
- Large nonreactive saucepan
- Knife, cutting board, and food chopper as needed
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Canning funnel and jar lifter
- Bubble remover or headspace tool
- Clean damp cloth and timer
Visual method guide
- Prepare jars and canner.
- Prepare and measure ingredients exactly.
- Complete the tested cooking sequence.
- Hot-pack and leave 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process for your elevation.
- Cool and verify seals.
Safety essentials
- Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and retain the tested onion-pepper-vinegar proportions.
- Do not dilute the vinegar, alter tested proportions, skip reduction to about half volume, or use jars larger than pints.
- Use only the tested jar sizes and leave 1/2 inch headspace.
- Apply the full altitude adjustment.
- Refrigerate any jar that does not seal.
About this recipe
This tested NCHFP recipe preserves sweet pepper and onion relish using an acidified hot-pack method and boiling-water processing. The expected yield is about 9 half-pint jars.
Before you begin
Prepare the peppers and onions to the tested measurements and reduce the cooked mixture to about half its original volume. Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and retain the tested onion-pepper-vinegar proportions. Prepare the entire
Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Pickled Pepper-Onion Relish — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 6 cups onions finely chopped
- 3 cups sweet red peppers finely chopped
- 3 cups sweet green peppers finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 cups vinegar 5% acidity; preferably white distilled
- 2 tbsp canning or pickling salt
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner
- Canning jars Nine half-pint jars
Directions
- Prepare sterile half-pint jars and lids. Wash and finely chop the onions and peppers.
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Boil gently until the mixture is thickened and its volume is reduced by about half, approximately 30 minutes.
- Pack hot relish into hot sterile half-pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rims, and apply lids.
- Process half-pints or pints for 5 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 10 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft, or 15 minutes above 6,000 ft. Cool 12 to 24 hours and check seals.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve with grilled meats, beans, sandwiches, burgers, or cheese plates.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reduce the vinegar or acid?
No. Keep the tested acid type, strength, and proportions.
Can I use larger jars?
No. Use only the jar sizes listed in the tested recipe.
What if a jar does not seal?
Refrigerate it promptly or reprocess within 24 hours with a new lid and the full tested process.
Recipe context
Do not combine this record with another preservation formula.
Troubleshooting
If the relish is not processed, refrigerate it and use it within one month. Refrigerate any unsealed processed jar promptly or reprocess within 24 hours with a new lid and the full tested process.
Source & provenance
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Summer, Fall
Months: July, August, September, October
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
8–18 lb of Peppers per person per year
This is an annual planning range that includes preserving and typical fresh use. Plant, row-foot, and square-foot estimates are shown only when compatible cited yield or spacing data is available.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.