This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Mama needs some moula to keep this lil blog a truckin’ so thank you for your support. Xo.
In my humble opinion, pickled jalapeños make everything they touch taste better. Whether it’s nachos, tacos, salsa, or chilaquiles, pickled jalapeños add a delicious (mild) spicy tang to every dish.
If you’re thinking to yourself right now, but I don’t like spicy food… please hear me out. I used to not like spicy food either. When it comes to spice, you just have to go for it, but go slow. Start by adding a wee bit of hot sauce or chilli flakes to recipes. Soon you’ll find that you are craving the spice. Recipes won’t taste quite the same without a bit of a kick. Trust me! Soon you’ll be ordering medium spice at your local Indian restaurant and lovin’ it. Just make sure you get a mango lassi on the side to cool your face down and also for the sake of deliciousness.
Canning seems like a lot of work…
Canning can be intimidating, it’s true. It used to intimidate me because of the sheer volume of what people used to can. Cue memories of my Baba surrounded by what seemed like a thousand pickle jars. But canning doesn’t need to be like that. We live in a modern society here, we don’t need to “survive over the winter” anymore; the grocery store is across the street.
So, I like to look at canning as a fun Saturday morning cooking activity. I typically don’t make huge batches of jam or thirty jars of pickles. Instead of throwing away that pack of wrinkly blueberries you forgot about, make a jar or two of jam. Do the jalapeños in your grocer look very inviting? Grab a handful and make some zesty pickled jalapeños! This recipe makes three 250 ml jars but you can easily divide (or increase) the recipe and make how ever many jars you like.
I like using these instructions when water bath canning. Now there is some fancy equipment within these instructions. I now have a water bath canner, canning funnel, and jar lifter because I can so often. But, I have canned without them. You can use a regular pot. You can use a regular funnel (or no funnel at all). If you’re careful you can use a strong pair of tongs (while wearing oven mitts) to lift your jars. I’ve seen warnings that when using a regular pot of boiling water, jars rattle against the bottom of the bot and may break. This could happen. This has never happened to me. Canning equipment isn’t a huge investment but I’d recommend trying it out a few times to see if you enjoy it before you race out and buy everything.
Thanks but no thanks.
Now, you’ve read my canning rant but you’re still like, nah. That’s ok! You can completely ignore the canning steps and prepare these pickled jalapeños for the fridge. They won’t be shelf stable (AKA: ok to sit in the pantry for a year) but they will taste the same and still last for a couple months in the fridge. Whether you decide to can or not to can, let the pickled jalapeños hang out in their jars for at least a week to let all the flavours meet and become friends.
Pro tip: People love, and I mean love receiving homemade canned goods. If I ever need a small gift for someone, I pull out a jar of my most recent jam or pickle. It’s a truly special gift for someone to receive. Go a little further and create a custom label for your preserves. I use these labels which come with free online templates.
Garlicky Pickled Jalapeños
Equipment
- Waterbath Canner (Optional)
Ingredients
- 3 cups sliced jalapeños
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 3 tsp pickling salt
Instructions
- Prepare three 250 ml jars with sealing lid, such as Ball canning jars. Sterilize jars and lids in either the dishwasher or in hot soapy water. If you would like to can your jalapeños for cupboard storage, prepare your water bath canner per directions in the link at the bottom of the recipe.*
- Fill a kettle with water and set it to boil while you pack your jars.
- Pack each jar with 1 cup of jalapeños, 1 garlic clove, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp pickling salt.
- Once your kettle has boiled, pour hot water into the packed jars leaving 1/2 inch space from the top of the jar.
- Screw lids onto the jars. If processing jars in canner, continue with the directions per the link below.
- Let jars cool at room temperature. If you processed your jars, you can now store them in the pantry for up to one year. If you did not process jars, store jars in the fridge for up to two months.
