C is for: Candied & Pickled Jalapeños

Holy spicy and sweet.

If you like jalapenos, you’ve gotta try this.

My friend Sachi recently came to visit me in Connecticut and was absolutely raving about this candied jalapeno recipe. Being a lover of all things spicy and all things jalapeno, I knew I had to check it out.

I didn’t follow her recipe exactly. Mostly because it called for canning the jalapenos. The only thing I know about canning is that my mom used to do it and it involved a lot of boiling of jars.

Just as I did with the aioli, I’m sure if I put my mind to it and researched a little, I could totally conquer canning as well. But I knew I was going to be eating these just as soon as they were ready (as opposed to sitting on a shelf), so I decided to do more of a candied/quick pickle approach that you can store in the fridge.

Start with about 15 medium to large jalapenos.

Slice ’em up into 1/4 inch rings. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to wear gloves to do this, as the jalapeno juice can sting.

If you don’t want them to be as spicy, you can remove the seeds, but I decided that this would take too long and I love spicy things, so I left the seeds intact. (Except for any that fell out during the slicing… I tossed those).

Meanwhile, combine 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of water, 3 smashed garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds, 1/2 teaspoon tumeric and 3 cups of sugar in a medium pot. I know that sounds like a lot of sugar, but remember, these are candied. (BTW… if you just want regular pickled jalapenos, you can reduce the sugar down to 3-4 tablespoons and consider using white vinegar). Bring mixture to a boil and cook until sugar has been dissolved and mixture has reduced slightly.

Now carefully add your jalapenos. If you thought your skin was sensitive, try jalapeno tear gas to the eyes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let them sit for 10-15 minutes.

After awhile, they’ll turn from bright green to this green. Like when you buy them in the grocery store.

Before you start filling your jar, sterilize it (and heat it) with boiling water. This will ensure a clean jar and also prevent it from cracking when you add the hot liquid from the jalapenos. Transfer peppers to the jar using tongs. (I’m not exactly sure how big the jar is, but I’m guessing a pint).

Pour in the remaining liquid until the jalapenos are completely covered. I decided to strain mine so I didn’t have any extra seeds, but this step is totally optional. (Alternately, I suppose you could just put the raw jalapenos straight into the jar and pour the hot liquid over it. Either way works).

You can enjoy these right away or store in the refrigerator. These would be great atop deviled eggs, nachos, on crackers with cream cheese, or just by themselves as a spicy snack or relish. Speaking of deviled eggs, I used these in my Park Tavern version of deviled eggs. Stay tuned for that recipe soon on e is for eat!