About a month ago I decided I wanted to pickle my own jalapeños. Since I make my own cashew-based queso now, I go through a lot more pickled jalapeños than I used to. Plus, they’re delicious on nachos, and I will happily find any excuse to eat more nachos.
I found a simple recipe for homemade pickled jalapeños and got to work. I bought the jalapeños from the grocery store with the intent of continuing the process with homegrown peppers later in the year. I sliced the peppers and mixed all the ingredients together. I followed the pinned recipe, but I cut down on the sugar it called for since I wanted the peppers to be fairly spicy.
I was amazed how quickly the jalapeños started to change color once added to the boiling vinegar mixture. Once they cooled, I packed them into glass jars and set them in the fridge for later. I’ve since sampled them, and found their taste to be quite pleasant. They are firmer in texture compared to conventionally jarred pickled jalapeños, with a more fresh, spicy, and flavorful taste. It’s possible that adding the recommended amount of sugar would have made them less spicy, but that’s not really what I was wanting.
I will continue to pickle my own jalapeños from now on. It was an easy and quick project to do. The end result is also better quality and cheaper, and pickling at home reuses jars instead of sending more glass to be (hopefully) recycled.
Give it a try! Your tastebuds will thank you.