I love spicy food, but jalapeños just aren't something I use tons of at any one time. Since I feel a little odd just buying one pepper, the rest of the bag usually ends up going bad. After realizing how easy it is to make pickled jalapeños, I don't think I'll ever be running into a bag of half decomposed jalapeños at the bottom of my vegetable drawer again.
Tart and piquant, these pickles make an awesome snack with a frosty beer and can be used as a condiment for your favorite Mexican dish. I even like adding these to sandwiches like banh mi and tortas.
I made a smallish portion for those of us with tiny refrigerators, but if you have the room, this is a great way to preserve that giant pack of jalapeños you picked up at Costco last week.
Recipe
Pickled Jalapeños (escabeche)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons honey (optional)
- 6 jalapeño peppers (sliced into ¼" wheels)
- 1 carrot (peeled and cut into ¼" wheels)
- 1 medium onion (peeled and cut into 16 wedges)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled)
Instructions
- Remove the seeds and white pith of the 6 jalapeño peppers if you want them less spicy
- Put the ½ cup water, ½ cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 medium onion, 6 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf in a non-reactive (stainless steel) saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Continue boiling until the jalapeños have gone from a vivid green to an earthy olive green. Turn the heat off and allow the jalapeño pickles to cool.
- These jalapeño pickles can be stored for a very long time in a sealed container in the fridge. Serve with tacos, nachos, or just about any of your favorite Mexican foods.
Nutrition Facts
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Wanda Leach says
fantastic
YLK says
This recipe reminds me of a spicy snake bean (or yard long bean) with ground pork that my ex's mom used to make. She used to brine her own yard long beans for a few days before making the dish, which was spicy, tangy and absolutely delicious. I think I'm going to try and replicate her recipe starting with this recipe.
Marc says
Wow that sounds great! Thanks for sharing.
Scott Oberg says
Not that this sort of pickling is all that hard, but I usually just save the delicious pickle juice from store-bought dills or other treats and use that to make pickled jalepenos. They usually even go back into the same jar. Recycle!