Some things are so simple you wonder why you ever bought them. Pickled jalapeños have to be on the top of that list. We were running low when I made the penne alla vodka and I put them on the shopping list, and promptly forget them on a pandemic run.
In an email on Cinco de Mayo there was a recipe for them. Couldn’t be simpler. Fills a pint jar.
Pickled Jalapeños
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 1 cup distilled or filtered water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1-4 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
- 4-6 jalapeños depending on size, sliced
Put the crushed garlic in a small saucepan. Add the water, vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat, add the jalapeños and let them sit for about 10 minutes until they start to turn from bright green to olive drab.
With a slotted spoon, remove the jalapeños and garlic from the brine and put in a clean jar. Add the brine to cover the jalapeños (fill the jar).
Let them come to room temperature before putting the lid on. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Serve and enjoy!
My verdict:
So easy! I keep a bag full of jalapeños and serranos in my freezer so they’re always around. All you need to do is wash them when you get them home and toss them in a Ziplock or container. Now I’ll always have pickled ones too.
The amount of sugar varies depending on your heat tolerance, sugar tolerance and the heat of your jalapeños. The ones I have happen to be from an extremely hot batch from the farm where we have our CSA, so a smart person might have added a little more sugar. As it was, I used a scant tablespoon and they’re pretty hot, but not unbearable and I’d rather have the heat than the sugar.
If you’re on the lookout for hot or not so hot jalapeños, the ones that have little marks, called crazing, are generally hotter than the smooth ones.
