Candied Jalapenos. Yum! I don’t even need to say anything else about this recipe. “Yum” really covers it. If you love the flavor of a fresh crunchy jalapeno, this “Cowboy Candy” will certainly appeal to you. The balance of sweet, savory and spicy flavors meld together to create the perfect condiment for just about anything. I would even put it on ice cream! If you don’t try out this recipe, you are basically just crazy. Yeah, that’s right. I said it! Crazy!
I suggest doubling this recipe since you will finish it very quickly!
- ServingsServings
Ingredients
- 1 pound jalapeno peppers
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
Preparation
Wearing gloves, I removed and discarded the stems from the jalapenos then sliced them in to 1/4-1/8 inch rounds.
In a pot, I combined the cider vinegar, sugar, garlic, turmeric, celery seed, cayenne pepper and mustard seed and brought the mixture to a boil. I then reduced the heat and simmered for 5 minutes.
I added the jalapeno slices and simmered for another 4 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, I transferred the peppers to a clean, sterile canning jar, leaving at least 1/4 inch of room from the top. I turned the heat up on the liquid and boiled hard for 6 minutes. Using a ladle, I poured the boiling syrup in to the jar over the jalapeno slices.
I inserted a chopstick to the bottom of the jar a few times to release any air bubbles then wiped the rim of the jar with a clean, damp paper towel and closed it snugly (but not too tight) with the two-piece lid.
If you have a canner, follow these directions from Foodie with Family: Place jars in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth then label.
But if you are like me and don’t have a canner in your home, here’s what I did: I flipped the jar upside down and let it sit until the pressure and heat caused it to seal. Seems impossible but it actually worked.
I allowed the candied jalapeno to sit for at least 3 weeks. If you are like me, your best bet is to hide the jar outside of the kitchen while it mellows so there is no temptation to open it early. Thank goodness I was out of town for the 3 weeks that the jar sat, otherwise I would have for sure opened it early.
For my first time using the finished jalapeno, I added 1/2 cup of diced candied jalapeno to the batter of my corn bread recipe. I suggest you do the same! The flavor of my new favorite condiment added just the right amount of spice to this rustic dish.
