I love spicy food, but jalapenos 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 jalapenos, I don’t think I’ll ever be running into a bag of half decomposed jalapenos 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 jalapenos you picked up at Costco last week.
Units
Ingredients
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons honey (optional)
- 6 jalapeno peppers (sliced into 1/4" wheels)
- 1 carrot (peeled and cut into 1/4" wheels)
- 1 medium onion (peeled and cut into 16 wedges)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled)
Instructions
- Remove the seeds and white pith of the jalapeno if you want them less spicy
- Put all the ingredients in a non-reactive (stainless steel) saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Continue boiling until the jalapenos have gone from a vivid green to an earthy olive green. Turn the heat off and allow the jalapeno pickles to cool.
- These jalapeno 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.
Marc Matsumoto says
Great idea with the green tomatoes, though you might not want to add tomatoes to the hot water as even a little heat will make them lose their crunch. Maybe make the brine and pour it over the tomatoes? Let us know how it goes!
David says
Thanks for the Pickled Jalapeno Recipe! Just awesome. I’ve tried making this before because after leaving San Diego I could not find good Mexican food where I lived.
Marilia says
they’re perfect with tortas and tacos, but in my family, if we have a meat dish like pork or beef, they’re automatically on the table 🙂
Linda m says
I used red and yellow bell peppers instead of carrots and added about 1/4 cup of sugar because I like hot and sweet. The only thing I would add would be to use a small pan because there isn’t much liquid in comparison to the veggies. Thanks so much for the recipe. I will try lots of variations 🙂
jatipete says
I think it is superb. will make a batch
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!