Years ago my father made pickled jalapeños peppers that, as a kid, I thought were amazing. They weren’t too spicy and had an awesome crunch, like pickles. This recipe was spot on.
Most recipes I found cooked the peppers in the brine. I chose not to boil the jalapenos so they would hold their snappy crunchiness. It worked beautifully. These pickled jalapeno peppers are exactly what I remember.
This recipe yields perfect, crunchy, and flavorful jalapenos that stay crunchy. They are nothing like those mushy store-bought peppers.
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Crunchy Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
Gather your ingredients, and prep the peppers. I slice the pepper in half lengthwise, I wanted a “pickle size” pepper. I HIGHLY recommend gloves for this job, maybe even some protective eyewear. I can’t even tell you how many times I washed my hands but my fingers still burned.
I remembered to wear gloves the last time I made these but for some reason, I thought I would be ok without them this go around. Stupid, I tell ya!
In a small saucepan combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Heat the brine, stirring, just enough to dissolve the sugar and salt. No need to bring to a boil.
Remove the pot off of the heat and set aside until the jars are stuffed with the jalapenos and garlic.
We ate some of these particular jalapenos on nachos the night before and they were extremely spicy. So I removed the veins and seeds to cut down on the heat.
Check out our Ceviche recipe!
I don’t want to feel physical pain while I eat spicy foods. But if you enjoy the heat then, by all means, leave them in the peppers. Just slice them in half and stuff the jar. You won’t hurt my feelings.
This recipe makes 2-pint jars or one-quart jar. Your choice. Once the peppers are prepped cram them into the jars. Fill the jars with as many as you can. I was able to squeeze in about 5 or 6 peppers in each pint jar.
Once the jars are stuffed with peppers shove 2 garlic cloves per jar down into the jars. Slowly pour the brine into the jars. Enough to cover the peppers.
Let them cool at room temp before placing the lids on, then store in the fridge. I test after 2 days to see if they are to my liking. It normally takes 3 to 5 days for me.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
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Crunchy Pickled Jalapenos Recipe
Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
Ingredients
- 12 Jalapenos stems trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise
- 4 cloves Garlic smashed and peeled
- 1 cup Distilled White Vinegar
- 1 cup Water
- 4 tablespoons Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Heat the brine, stirring, just enough to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Remove the pot off of the heat and set aside until the jars are stuffed with the jalapenos and garlic.
- Pour or spoon the pickling juices over the top until you’ve reached the top of the jalapenos.
- Let cool at room temperature before securing a lid and placing them in the fridge.
- Refrigerate for 3 to 5 days. (start taste testing at about 2-3 days, your preference)
Note: I treat these as I would any opened jar of jalapenos. They should last a long while if kept refrigerated in the airtight jar.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from simplyscratch
Comments
Linda at Mixed Kreations
November 23, 2015Cool! We just picked our last crop of peppers and have been want to learn to pickle some. Thanks for sharing your recipe! Pinning!
DSTR
November 23, 2015I hope you enjoy them! Thank you!
Tiffany
November 26, 2015Fun idea! My husband loves jalapenos, so I’m saving this for next year when he brings his crop. Thanks for sharing with us a the Merry Monday Link Party! Hope to see you again on Sunday night!
DSTR
November 27, 2015Thank you Tiffany!
Cat
November 5, 2018Do you have to slice them we’ve been wanting to pickle some whole
DSTR
November 5, 2018If you want to leave them whole I would suggest piercing them a few times with a sharp knife. This should help them pickle. They will probably take longer than 3-5 days to pickle them. Maybe more like 7 days. Thanks so much for coming by!
Carol
July 15, 2019After pinkling jalapeños, can I make jalapeno poppers or jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese
DSTR
July 16, 2019Hi, Carol! You could certainly try. These pickled jalapeno’s stay crunchy so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let us know if you try it.
Holly Collins
August 6, 2019Can these be stored in a pantry?
DSTR
August 11, 2019Hi, Holly! No, they would need to be ‘canned’ to be stored.
Honingbij
August 23, 2019Can the sugar be left out?
DSTR
August 24, 2019The sugar helps moderates the heat (capsaicin). Less sugar, more heat, and vice versa. But that being said, pickled jalapenos are great without sugar, too. Give it a try and let us know how they turn out!
James b geddes
October 4, 2020How long to can in hotwater bath
DSTR
October 5, 2020This is not a canning recipe, therefore, it needs to be refrigerated. For canning instructions try following USDA Guidelines.
Honingbij
August 24, 2019Thanks for you reply! I definitely will try it and report back.
Honingbij
September 3, 2019Made these without the sugar, and I also left the seeds in. Perfection! Hot, crunchy with the slightest hint of the natural sweetness of the pepper itself. My husband and I couldn’t love these more!
Thanks so much for this recipe.
Honingbij
September 4, 2019I made a comment, but it seems to have disappeared.
Anyway, I made this without the sugar and I also left the seeds in.
They were perfect! Hot, crunchy, with a hint of the natural sweetness of the pepper. My husband and I loved them! I already have another batch in the refrigerator. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Chris A.
October 2, 2020Thanks for this recipe.
How long would they normally last in the refrigerator? Will it last a couple or more months after pickling? Just wondering how many jars I can pickle to last through the winter without “canning.”
DSTR
October 3, 2020They should last about 2 months in the fridge.
David
August 29, 2021Can you use minced garlic instead of cloves?
DSTR
August 30, 2021Sure, I don’t see why not.