Nonna Elda Cooks

Only three ingredients to preserving your own super spicy homemade chili giardiniera!

Nonna Elda’s spicy chili giardiniera is a staple in our family’s kitchen. It came from her own grandmother’s chili giardiniera recipe in Italy but has been updated since coming to Canada in the 1960’s with smaller, hotter, peppers that she started growing some years ago.

The original recipe from Nonna’s Nonna used large sweeter peppers that were much more mild, and you absolutely can do it that way if you like. The great thing about using tiny spicy peppers is that the oil packs a huge punch, and we only use one or two drops of the oil when we are adding it to our food.

You can use this oil, and the chilis in just about any dish, during the cooking process, or while serving. We love putting it on top of our pasta, that’s our classic use for it but you can put it into soups, stews, sauces, pizza toppings, sandwiches, salad dressings, This is THE OIL that goes on anything but BE CAREFUL IT IS HOT!

You only need four ingredients,

Vinegar

Salt

Chili peppers (Nonna uses small chili peppers that she grows in the garden, they are probably Thai.)

Oil (Nonna uses Canola oil, you do you,)

Step one: clean and cut up your peppers.

Step two: soak them in white vinegar (nonna prefers Allen’s brand vinegar) and salt for every two cups of vinegar add two tablespoons of salt approximately.

Step three :allow the peppers to soak for 36 hours turning them over at least three times during those 36 hours.

Step four: drain the peppers with a colander, put a paper plate on top of them and then something heavy to squish all the liquid out. Let it drain for a few hours.

Step five: when it is dry put it in a bowl, add a few tablespoons of oil and mix.

Step six: pack it tight in a jar of your choice. Then cover with oil.

That’s it you’re done. As you use your peppers (we keep them in the fridge) keep topping up the oil. It is very spicy.

Remember to wear gloves and a mask because if you get chili in your fingers or eyes you will be in a lot of pain!