Candied Jalapenos (Cowboy Candy)
Sweet and spicy Candied Jalapenos made from fresh peppers simmered in a tangy syrup. A flavorful refrigerator condiment for tacos, soups, crackers, and more.
Servings 1 pint
Equipment
- 1 washed and sterilized pint canning jar with sealing lid and ring.
Ingredients
- 15-20 jalapeno peppers , sliced into 1/8" thick rounds
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring all of the brine ingredients to a light boil*. Reduce heat to maintain an active simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Add in the jalapeno pepper slices. Stir well to submerge all of the rings, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers to the jar. A heat-safe funnel with a wide opening is very helpful here.
- Continue cooking the brine at a simmer until it's syrupy (another 5 or 6 minutes). The brine should drip in a steady stream from a spoon rather than dump out all at once.
- Carefully pour the hot brine over the jalapenos until they're covered by 1/4". Use a slender spoon or chopstick to push the rings below the surface.
- Affix the sealing lid and ring on the jar. Leave on the counter to cool.
- Note that if your lid is new, it's very likely that it will "pop" and seal, as though the jar had been cooked for canning. This does NOT make it shelf-stable.
- Once the jar is cool enough to handle, label with the date and place in the refrigerator. Leave it be for at least five days (it's hard, I know!) to develop its flavor. The peppers should be good for two to three months. If they'll last that long!
Notes
* Please note that cooking hot chiles in vinegar produces a fumes situation. Be prepared for this! Turn on your range fan, open windows, blow table fans. Whatever you need to do to keep fumes from building up in your kitchen and spreading through the house. On the day I photographed this recipe, I had a scratchy throat and had to put on a mask to keep from coughing.
>>> But most importantly, take extra care if you have beings in your house that are extra sensitive to volatile fumes: birds, pets, infants, people with asthma or copd. These fumes are no joke!