Glass canning jars filled with yellow mustard liquid with bits of peppers showing all on white marble surface.

How to Can Hot Pepper Mustard

Name: How to Can Hot Pepper Mustard
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 6 cups finely chopped hot peppers; 4 cups distilled white vinegar (5%); 3 tsp canning salt (or 4 tsp kosher salt); 2 cups prepared yellow mustard; ½ cup granulated sugar (or monk fruit sugar); 1 cup water; 7 tbsp Clear Jel (USDA recommendation)

Kaleb Wyse

Last modified on July 5, 2024

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While not a very widely used spread, this hot pepper mustard is a delicious, spicy treat that's addictive. The ingredients seem odd, but the combination of peppers and mustard creates a slight pickle-like sweetness with just the right amount of heat!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 1 10

Table of Contents

Are you ready for a truly unique condiment recipe?
Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
Here’s how to make this recipe.
These pro tips will make this recipe a success.
Frequently asked questions about this recipe.
You'll love these other canning recipes.
Watch how to make this recipe.
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
How to Can Hot Pepper Mustard Recipe

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While not a very widely used spread, this hot pepper mustard is a delicious, spicy treat that’s addictive. The ingredients seem odd, but the combination of peppers and mustard creates a slight pickle-like sweetness with just the right amount of heat!

Are you ready for a truly unique condiment recipe?

Canning becomes a tradition. So much, sometimes, that I forget some recipes aren’t in everyone’s recipe box. A case in point: this hot pepper mustard.

The idea seems odd, but I’ve become so used to it on our family table at so many different times of the year. We eat this on everything: nachos (amazing!), pizza (don’t give me that look), meat, sides… it just adds an extra pop of spice and flavor. So far, everyone that tries it falls in love. Now, it’s your turn!

Hand holding metal spoon pulling some hot pepper mustard from small glass container sitting on marble surface with jars filled with canned mustard beside.

Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.

The best part of this condiment recipe is that it only needs six ingredients to work its magic! There are definitely some unique additions, though, but everything should be readily available in the grocery store. Here are the ingredients:

Hot peppers sound fairly generic, and that’s on purpose because you can use any hot or sweet pepper you want. I like yellow hot banana peppers as they work well with the yellow mustard color. I always add one red pepper for a bit of extra color.
Vinegar makes this more of a pickle relish. The high ratio of vinegar provides the acidity needed for easy shelf-stable canning.
Sugar balances out the acidity of the vinegar. Traditionally, this recipe had nearly the same amount of sugar as vinegar, which would be around four cups! I see no need for all that much sugar, so I reduced it, with no complaints from anyone.
Salt brings out the flavor and helps to preserve the sauce. Use either canning salt or kosher salt and compensate for the measurement depending on your choice of salt.
Prepared yellow mustard is a unique ingredient, but the flavor pulls this whole recipe together. The sharp yellow mustard is cut with spicy peppers and helps make this a condiment.

Marble countertop filled with everything needed to make hot pepper mustard including hot peppers, yellow mustard, Clear Jel, vinegar, sugar, and more.

Food safety tip: This recipe may not be approved by the USDA. To prevent the risk of botulism, always check with the USDA Canning Guide.

Here’s how to make this recipe.

Since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, the steps are pretty simple. While water bath canning can sound like a tedious (or scary) process, it’s relatively easy. Here are the steps to make this hot pepper mustard:

Prepare the hot peppers. Cut off the stem end of the pepper. Then cut the pepper in half lengthwise and remove most of the seeds. If the seeds are left in the mixture, they remain whole and do not break down very well, affecting the overall texture. Once the seeds are removed, slice up the pepper into smaller, rough pieces.

Hands in green plastic gloves cutting a yellow hot pepper on a wood cutting board.

Hand in green plastic glove slicing yellow hot pepper in half on wood cutting board.

Chop up the hot peppers. Once all the peppers are prepared, place them in a food processor. Pulse until the peppers are ground up into evenly-sized pieces. Depending on the number of peppers, this could take multiple batches of grinding. Once ground, place all of the peppers in a heavy-bottom kettle.

Food processor container filled with roughly chopped hot peppers.

Food processor container filled with chopped up hot peppers in both yellow and red colors.

Mix together all ingredients. On top of the peppers in the stockpot, add the vinegar, prepared yellow mustard, sugar, and salt. Mix all of the ingredients together until everything is incorporated.

Hand stirring pepper and mustard mixture in large metal stockpot sitting on marble countertop.

Hand stirring wooden spatula in pepper and mustard mixture in large metal stockpot.

Cook the mixture on the stove. Place the stockpot with the pepper mustard mixture on the stove and let it come up to a boil. This dissolves the sugar and salt and cooks the peppers.

Hand holding wooden spoon stirring pepper mustard mixture in large metal stockpot on stove.

Mustard and pepper mixture in large metal stockpot simmering on stovetop.

Add in the Clear Jel slurry. Once the mixture has boiled, remove it from the heat and prepare the Clear Jel slurry. In a bowl, mix together the Clear Jel and water until the Clear Jel is dissolved. Using a whisk, slowly add the slurry into the pepper mustard mixture and mix it to incorporate. The mixture should immediately begin to thicken. Return the kettle to the stove to heat the mixture, thickening the Clear Jel. Make sure to whisk the mixture continuously to prevent splattering.

For safety reasons, the USDA recommends that you always can with Clear Jel rather than flour or cornstarch when you want to thicken a mixture. When canning, always make sure to reference the USDA Canning Guide.

Hand holding measuring cup pouring white slurry mixture into large metal stockpot filled with yellow steaming mixture.

Hand holding whisk stirring mustard pepper mixture in large metal stockpot on stove.

Pack the jars for the water bath. To clean and sterilized glass jars, ladle the hot pepper mustard mixture using a funnel for cleanliness. Fill each jar, reserving ½-inch of “headspace” at the top. Once all of the jars are filled, wipe off the top of each jar with a paper towel wetted with hot water. Then place on the lid and the ring, and tighten until fingertip tightness.

What is headspace?

Headspace is the unoccupied area at the top of a jar. This space allows the contents of the jar to shift and expand during the canning process without impeding the seal created by the lid and ring. It also allows for the creation of a vacuum seal.

Hand holding ladle putting hot pepper mustard into glass jars sitting on wire rack with large metal stockpot in background.

Hand wiping off rim of glass canning jar filled with yellow colored hot pepper mustard showing the headspace at the top.

Process the jars in the water bath. On a stovetop, heat water in a heavy-bottom kettle fitted with a rack. Using a jar lifter, place each glass jar filled with the hot pepper mustard into the water, one at a time. Make sure that once all of the jars are in the canner that the tops of the jars are covered with water. If they are not, simply add some hot water to the pot.

Hand putting glass jar filled with hot pepper mustard into water bath canner using red plastic clamps.

Large metal water bath canner on stove filled with six glass jars filled with hot pepper mustard.

Remove the jars from the water bath. After 25 minutes of boiling (see times below to see if you need to adjust due to altitude), remove the jars from the canner, tipping them slightly while still over the kettle to remove any water from the tops of the jars. Allow the jars to sit undisturbed for 24 hours before removing the rings. This ensures that the seal is not hindered. After 24 hours, you can remove the ring (or leave it on).

Each altitude can require a different processing time. I’m located between 0 and 1,000 feet above sea level. If you are at a different elevation, make sure to check the USDA Canning Guide for your processing time:

Elevation	0 to 1,000 ft	1,001 to 3,000 ft	3,001 to 6,000 ft	6,000 ft +
Time	25 minutes	30 minutes	35 minutes	40 minutes

Hand removing glass canning jar filled with yellow hot pepper mustard from water bath canner on stovetop.

Red plastic tongs placing glass jar filled with yellow-colored hot pepper mustard onto metal cooling rack after being removed from water bath canner on stove.

These pro tips will make this recipe a success.

When working with peppers, use gloves. This will prevent any of the spice from getting into any open injuries or inadvertently into your eyes.
If looking for a bit more spice, throw in one habañero pepper. This will act as a level of “control” in the pepper mustard, meaning that this habañero will act as the hottest spice level in the mixture. If averse to spice, simply use all banana peppers and leave out any spicier varieties.
When canning, make sure to use a good-quality heavy-bottom stockpot that will distribute the heat evenly. This is important to prevent hotspots, which could cause burning.
Preparing a Clear Jel slurry is important. If both the Clear Jel and water were added directly to the hot pepper mustard mixture without first being mixed together to dissolve the Clear Jel, the Clear Jel would become clumpy and would not mix in well.

Glass canning jar filled with yellow colored hot pepper mustard sitting on marble surface with more jars in background.

Frequently asked questions about this recipe.

Is there a different pepper that can be used to decrease the spice level?

Of course! Try using a sweet banana pepper instead of Hungarian hot peppers or any combination of hot peppers. That way, the spice level will not be as high, but you’ll still get some of the great pepper flavor. The color of peppers used will determine the outcome of the recipe, be aware the color could be unique to the pepper you choose.

Does this need to sit for a certain amount of time before a jar is opened?

No, this sauce can be used immediately. As it sits, the spice does mellow slightly. If you were to try this right after it was done cooking on the stove, the level of spice will be higher than after it’s rested for some time.

How long will this last once canned before it should be used?

Canned goods have a long shelf life, easily 12-18 months. Once a jar is opened, store it in the refrigerator.

What can this sauce be used on?

Think of this hot pepper mustard as any other type of sauce that can be used in unique applications. It’s great with tortilla chips and paired with salsa. It’s also great when used with meat, used on top of taco salad, spooned over brats, or even spread on top of pizza.

You’ll love these other canning recipes.

Watch how to make this recipe.

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