These pickled jalapeño peppers are absolutely addictive and they are so easy to make. They are so much better than what you buy in the store – free of refined sugar and preservatives. I have big plans for the batch I just made and you can expect a really great recipe for them coming up within the next week or so. It has something to do with brunch and that’s all I am going to say.
You know all of the great things you can do with picked jalapeños, right? How about oven baked sweet potato nachos? Toss some in a taco. Add them to a cocktail. Or pop a couple of those suckers straight down the hatch just because you made them and you can. Whatever floats your boat. Put them on ice cream; I don’t care. Just put a little more fire in your life!
Before you get started, I want to talk a bit about pepper safety. I feel like a firefighter talking to a kindergarten class but I must warn you because slicing a load of these suckers is no joke. You can really burn your eyes or your skin if you aren’t careful. If you aren’t used to handling hot peppers, please consider wearing gloves. If you don’t, at least keep your hands away from the sliced jalapeño and juices. (A mandoline makes this so much easier, by the way.) Use tongs to transfer the sliced peppers from the cutting board to the bowl or jar you are putting them in. And when you are done, wash your hands really well. Like you’re scrubbing for surgery.
Are you still here or did I scare you off? Okay, good! We’re in this together then! You, my friend, are about to be in pepper heaven. 🙂
- 1/2 pound of jalapeños
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 smashed clove of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- I strongly recommend putting on some gloves to get started.
- Slice the jalapeños thin, preferably on a mandoline.*
- After you slice each jalapeño, transfer the slices to a bowl that is away from your work area. (This is to minimize the impact of the fumes. Having the whole load of sliced jalapeños right under your nose and eyes is intense - don't say I didn't warn you.) Use tongs or a fork to do this. You want to avoid touching the sliced jalapeños as they can burn your skin.
- Set your sliced jalapeño aside.
- Put all of your remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then immediately remove it from the heat.
- Add the jalapeños to the saucepan using a spoon to gently press them down so that they are all coated in the liquid.
- After five minutes, gently give your jalapeños a stir to redistribute them. You will notice your jalapeños starting to change from bright green to an olive green. That is what you want.
- Allow the jalapeños to rest for ten more minutes.
- Transfer the jalapeños to a non-reactive jar or other non-reactive container using tongs or a fork. If you are using a jar, pour in as much liquid as you need to fill the jar but do not overfill.
- Refrigerate and enjoy!
- * I prefer pickled jalapeños that are sliced no wider than 1/8" but if you would like them a bit thicker, that's fine, too.
