Cucumber Pepper Jar Salad is a sweet and tangy pickle made with sliced cucumbers and peppers—perfect for preserving summer flavors.
I like to keep a bit of summer in jars—something simple and ready to open when you need a quick addition to a meal.
This cucumber and pepper salad is one of those recipes I make every season. It’s inspired by Swedish-style pickles, but a bit more delicate and balanced in flavor.
It works well as a side for everyday meals, sandwiches, or anything that needs a fresh, slightly sweet contrast.
How to choose the best ingredients
Cucumbers: Any variety of pickling cucumbers works well. They don’t have to be perfect—we slice them anyway, so even larger or irregular ones are great for this salad
Bell pepper: I use red pepper for sweetness and color. You can also use yellow or orange, but avoid green—it can add a slightly bitter taste
Vinegar: I use 10% vinegar. If you have 5%, simply double the amount to achieve a similar effect
Red onion: Adds a mild sharpness and color. Slice it thinly so it blends well with the rest
Garlic: Adds depth and a slightly sharp flavor. Slice or lightly crush it so it releases more aroma
Oil: Use neutral oil like rapeseed or sunflower—it helps balance the acidity of the marinade
Salt: Enhances flavor and helps preserve the vegetables
Sugar: Balances the vinegar and gives that classic sweet and tangy taste
Top Tip for Success
If you're going to make this recipe, make sure to follow this top tip!
- Wash jars and lids thoroughly, then scald them with boiling water before filling. This helps prevent spoilage
- After filling the jars, always wipe the rims and lids clean—even small pieces of vegetables can prevent proper sealing
- Pack the vegetables firmly, but don’t press them too hard—the marinade should still move between layers
- During pasteurization, make sure the water reaches just below the lids
- Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat and let the jars simmer gently for about 15 minutes (don’t boil aggressively)
- After removing from the pot, tighten the lids immediately, turn jars upside down, and place them on a towel to cool
- Don’t worry if they seem slightly loose at first—it’s normal, they seal as they cool
- Leave space in the jar (about 1–2 cm from the top) so pressure can build properly
- Let the jars rest for at least 2 weeks before opening—this is when the flavors fully develop
- Store in a cool, dark place for best results
Cucumbers with peppers - salad in jars
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare a large bowl, and we will throw all the products in it.
- Wash the cucumbers and peppers well and cut them into slices.
- Turn the onions and slice them.
- Turn the garlic cloves.
- We put everything in a bowl and add salt, sugar, vinegar and oil. We mix thoroughly. Leave the prepared vegetables for 2 hours.
- During these 2 hours, we can prepare jars for the salad. The jars should be thoroughly washed and scalded so that our salad does not deteriorate.
- After 2 hours, put the salad in the previously scalded jars.
- Thoroughly wipe the lids and the area where the lids twist so that there is no element of the salad because the jars will not close during pasteurization.
- We pasteurize the jars for 15 minutes after boiling them. The best temperature for pasteurization is 85 C, but if we do not have a thermometer when they boil, we reduce the fire to boil gently.
- Pasteurization, i.e. put the jars in a pot of water (the water should reach the height where the lids begin.
- After this time, remove the hot jars from the pot, tighten (it may seem that the jars are not closed, but it is expected, so you should tighten them and put the lid down on the kitchen towel.
- The best thing is to wait at least 2 weeks for the ingredients to bite.
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