Pickled jalapenos (Photo/Carole Cancler)
Pickled jalapenos are super easy to make. Use them for nachos and tacos, as well as in cheese omelets, on smoked salmon pizzas, as a topping for burgers or hot dogs, or any dish where you want a tangy, hot accent. This recipe can be also used for yellow banana peppers and pepperoncini. These peppers can be mild to hot—ask the farmer to be sure since there are many varieties.
Pickled jalapenos
Makes 3-4 pints
5 cups commercial 5% vinegar (white or cider)
1 cup water
4 teaspoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 pounds fresh jalapeno peppers (or yellow banana peppers or pepperoncini)
(3-6 slices from a peeled carrot, optional)
(1/2 slice of onion, optional)
Prepare a boiling water bath for canning and keep hot while you prepare the jars of pickled jalapenos.
Make a brine. Place the vinegar, water, pickling salt, and sugar in a medium (2 quart) non-reactive (stainless or enamel) saucepan or kettle. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and stir briefly to dissolve the salt and sugar. Cover and keep hot over low heat while you prepare the jalapenos.
Wash the jalapenos and slice 1/4-inch thick; discard the stem ends. If using the carrot and onion, place 1 or 2 pieces of each in the jar. Pack the jalapeno slices into the sterilized pint jars. 2 pounds of jalapenos should make at least 3 pints; pack the jalapenos tightly, but do not crush them.
Ladle the hot brine over the sliced peppers in the sterilized jars. Clean the rim of the jar with a clean towel and place canning lids securely on jars. Process pints in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Cool and store up to one year.
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Comments
Great contribution, am trying it now, got crossed up in the preparation of the mason jars, had everything on already, brine went in fine without the jars being hot(thank God!), think some of my brine evaporated with the extra time, so didn't get to top off all as I'd would have liked but think it'll be okay. Thanks!!
The brine and jars need to be hot when you fill them, otherwise the timing for the processing isn't right. You might need an extra 5 minutes on the processing time (15 minutes instead of 10).
Check them in a week and open 1 jar. If it doesn't make a little "woosh" sound when you open it--this sound indicates a tight seal and well-preserved jar--then you should store unopened jars in the refrigerator and use them within a month or two.
Also, the brine does need to cover the peppers. If you have any doubt that you have well-preserved jars, store them in the refer to be sure.
This recipe is nice because it makes just a few jars, so you can try it a couple times until you get the routine down. I find I need to do several pounds now each year, because my family really likes them and we use a lot. I still make them just a couple pounds at a time, and just make several batches from mid-August until the end of the growing season.
I love to can, but didnt have a simple recipe for the plethora of jalepenos from my garden! This recipe worked great! The only thing that I omitted was the carrots.
Thanks for a great recipe!
I think you need to use a non reactive pan for the brine.
Also, why do all these pickling recipes use different ratios of vinegar to water? Everything from 5 to 1 to half and half.
And some use all vinegar and no water?
Thanks Dave. I changed the recipe to say "non-reactive" for the pickling solution.
Recipes vary on the vinegar/water ratio because they are old and/or refer to pickling different types of foods. For example, different vegetables have different levels of natural acidity and foods other than vegetables can be pickled (like eggs, meat, and fish). Also, foods can be cured before pickling--old-fashioned cucumber dill pickles were first put through a curing or fermentation, then pickled. I have not found a definitive answer for ratios of vinegar to water. The acidity of the pickled food needs to be high enough to prevent growth of harmful bacteria, molds, or yeasts that would make the pickles inedible. The amount of salt added also affects the amount of vinegar needed, as well as how the vegetables are treated (cold or hot pack, cooked or raw, etc) prior to pickling.
love the simple recipe. i've been pickle'n for years and sometimes check out recipes or methods to fine tune my own way of pickle'n. i have used almost the same method for years and have had great success. i want to taste the product i'm pickle'n so i might add a carrot or garlic clove but only a small piece.
I added the carrot because the commercial jalapenos I used to buy have a carrot or two in every can. I thought, heck, why not? They're tasty, too.
Is it ok to use jelly jars rather than pint or half-pint jars for pickled jalapenos?
I dont see why not
By jelly jars, I assume you mean canning jars smaller than a pint (2 cups/16 ounces) or half-pint (1 cup/8 ounces). Although I am not aware of the availability of canning jars smaller than a half-pint, if you have smaller canning jars (with rings and lids) that can be processed in a boiling water bath, you should be able to use them. What we don't know is how long to process them--I know of no instructions available for smaller than pint jars, so , you would still process jars smaller than a pint for the same length of time as pint jars. Here is some info on the internet:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/veg_pick.html
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/using_bw_canners.html
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/usda/GUIDE%201%20Home%20Can.pdf
Thanks for the great recipe! For about how time long do they need to be in the jar before they are ready to eat?
Unlike some pickled foods that change over the first few weeks in the jar, these jalapeno rings seem to taste the same after 1 week or 1 year. At least, I have not noticed any appreciable difference. We're just finishing up the last jars from last year and they have the same level of heat and tang as they did last September when I put them up.
I made this recipe and processed my filled jars according to the manufacturer's directions. However when I opened one of the jars and tried one of the pepper slices, the texture was 'mooshey' like baby food. The pepper slices held their shape but almost disintegrated in my mouth. Any hints on how to make a crisp jalepeno slice that has been processed in a jar?
The only way to keep the jalapenos crisp is to avoid hot liquids and a hot canning process. This means not heating the canning liquids, not blanching the peppers, and not sealing the canning jars using boiling water or any other hot sealing methods. I would assume that the the pickling process for this would be similar to making Italian giardiniera which is very crisp when done properly.
The first time I made giardiniera I processed the canning jars in boiling water for about 10 minutes and the giardiniera turned out very soft in texture and had the consistency similar to store bought jalapeno slices. The taste was still there but my family and I prefer very crisp giardiniera. The next batch that I made I used room temperature liquid ( vinegar & oil ) and just left the cans unsealed and just hand tightened the lid. I was told from several people that as long as the canning jars and all utensils used are properly sterilized, the vegetables are allowed to soak in a salt water bath overnight, and there is a proper ratio of vegetables to liquid, the product should stay fresh for a long while without any bacteria growth. My last batch of giardiniera that was not hot processed has been in my pantry for about 2 months now and there has been no negative aging of the product. In fact, every new jar I open tastes better and better. Considering that jalapenos are the main ingredient in my giardiniera , I don't see why jalapenos couldn't be cold processes to retain crispness.
I hope this helps.
Yes, MIne are fairly soft. Slice them thick (1/4-inch) helps some. And don't over process...but don't underprocess, either. I don't mind the texture as we usually put them on nachos or burgers or omelets.
I would not recommend the cold pack method for long storage. You could add cold brine to a quart and store them in your refrigerator for about a month. You could dry the peppers and then reconsititute and pickle a batch when needed--but this method will probably produce softer than those processed in a boiling water bath.
Alum is no longer recommended or used. Alum is tricky to use and can raise the pH (lower the acidity), making the pickled product unsafe to eat. Alum must also be thoroughly rinsed off and if not contributes to gastrointestinal problems, etc.
You could try a product called "Pickle Crisp"--which should be available at your local canning supply store, or online via Amazon there are several suppliers. Calcium chloride is another possibility.
Here is a link to a "no canning" pickle method. The recommended storage length IN THE REFRIGERATOR is 2 months:
http://www.pickyourown.org/pickles_easy.htm
what would happen if I added alum to each jar to keep them crisp ? It works for cucumbers. I plan to try that in my jars.
As mentioned above, alum is tricky to use, can cause additional problems (spoilage or stomach aches) and is no longer recommended.
Hi I have probably a stupid question. First of all Carole thanks for the easy recipe. I made them last night. I noticed after a couple hours the jars were still very ho and that the lids did not seal. The bubble in the middle of the lid was not flat.
Since they were still very hot, I opened the lids, put them back on then put them back in a hot water bath until the lids sealed aprox 10 min.. They are now sealed tight. Is this ok to re-process them like this? Your thoughts will be appreciated.
Thanks
Debra
It sounds like you are OK, based on recommended practices. Here is what it says at the the National Center for Home Food Preservation, under General Canning Information, Cooling Jars and Testing Jar Seals (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general/cooling_jars_test_seals.html):
"If a lid fails to seal on a jar, remove the lid and check the jar-sealing surface for tiny nicks. If necessary, change the jar, add a new, properly prepared lid, and reprocess within 24 hours using the same processing time. Headspace in unsealed jars may be adjusted to 1-½ inches and jars could be frozen instead of reprocessed. Foods in single unsealed jars could be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within several days."
FYI--A good, free, online source for canning information is the National Center for Home Food Preservation, http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/. A lot of the information on this site is taken from a U.S. Department of Agriculture publication titled "Complete Guide to Home Canning" (Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, Revised 2009. The complete text of the USDA guide is also available online for free at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html. i.e. our fedeeral government at work--we may as well use the info!!
One of the new recipes I used this year was Three Bean Salad (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_06/bean_salad.html). Man-oh-man, is this salad tasty, or what? I've been wanting alternatives to "fresh" (out of season) vegetables through the winter months, and this 3-bean salad is a sure winner in our house. My husband was at first skeptical about "salad in a jar" and he is now a convert.
Good luck with your canning adventures, Debra!
I'm trying this today! I've sliced and removed seeds already from my jalapeno (mild) and concerned that they will be too mild, so I'm adding some anahein pepper slices. I'm a mild salsa person, but these mild jalapenos are a bit too mild. Thanks for the simple and doable recipe!
Brenda--you're entirely welcome. Anaheim's are milder than jalapenos, so they may not add much heat back. Maybe you could leave half the seeds in in the jalapenos? Or, try pickling yellow peppers, which tend to be more mild--however yellow peppers have a different flavor than jalapenos. Or, leaves the seeds in when pickling, then just don't put too many in your salsa. I put just 5 slices in a batch of salsa I made the other day with a 28 ounce can of tomatoes and it was quite hot (which is okay with me, but not with my guests). So I'd start with just 1 or 2 slices and go from there.
...yum, I'm getting hungry for some chips-n-salsa... :-)
Hi Carol, I'm going to try this today or tomorrow - harvested a couple of pounds of gorgeous Jalapenos yesterday from the garden!
Two things: Can I do this with whole Jalapenos? I'd really like to try perhaps slitting them a little and leaving them whole. They will look pretty in the can and I think it gives more options in terms of use.
Second - I have found that if you harvest the Jalapenos, wait a couple of days and watch as the heat rises! This seems to work all the time for me. The longer I leave them stored on the counter-top, the hotter they get. Then, when you're happy with the heat level, pickle them!
Thanks!
Deanna
Yes, you can pickle whole jalapenos using either a raw pack or hot pack. For either pack, wash jalapenos and trim stem to 1/4-inch.
For raw pack, place whole, raw jalapenos into hot pint jars, add the hot pickling liquid (the same as for sliced) and process for 10 minutes.
For hot pack, simmer the whole peppers in the brine for 5 minutes, then pack hot peppers and brine into hot pint jars and process for 10 minutes.
While it is not abosultely necessary to slit the peppers, it is recommended to pierce each pepper with a small paring knife 1-3 times. Piercing the pepper ensures complete heat penetration during the canning process and also works to keep the peppers from collapsing.
Another added technique for either method is to soak the peppers in brine (1 gallon water, 1-1/2 cups salt) for 18-24 hours. Peppers should be kept cool during brining. The purpose of brining is primarily to maintain crispness in the finished product. But even commercially canned jalapenos are fairly soft, so I don't understand the purpose of adding this step for jalapenos. In general, if I want to maintain crispness in any pickled vegetable, I do a refrigerator pickle; for example pour hot brine over raw veggies and then refrigerate. Wait 1-2 weeks to allow the flavors to develop before eating.
Deanna,
Hmmmm, that last comment listed me as Deanna, but I was replying to your comment from earlier today.
Anyway, have fun today Deanna. Let me know how your whole jalapenos turn out!
I've got several pickle and relish recipes going today.
--Carole
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