Find out why everyone loves Candied Jalapenos so much, and if you need independent verification, read the many happy reviews in the comment section below the post.
Candied JalapeƱos. Ah. Thereās a story here.
Once upon a time, my friend Katie casually mentioned eating a sandwich made with Candied JalapeƱos. She was singing the praises of what she described as an addictive jar of goodies.
Then she said the magic words, āI wish I could figure out how to make these at home.ā
By this point, you might know me well enough to know what affect that statement has on me. I quizzed her on the texture, flavor, and appearance of the jalapeno rings. I begged for photographs.
I had her send me a picture of the ingredient list on the label. I asked her to describe the flavor to the very best of her food blogging abilities. She was game. She provided all the information.
After carefully examining close to thirty recipes on Candied JalapeƱos, also known as cowboy candy (who KNEW there were so many people candying jalapenos?) I called my local Cooperative Extension office to pick the brain of their home food preservation specialists.
Since jalapeƱos are a low-acid food, some precautions need to be taken when canning them. You have two choices for safely canning peppers of any kind; you can pressure can them or you can acidify (i.e. add vinegar, lemon juice, etcā¦) the liquid in which you pack the peck of pickled peppers.
I opted for acidifying the pepper liquid. I wanted to maintain some of the texture of the peppers through the process because pressure canning Candied JalapeƱos would turn them to flavorful mush.
The result was gobsmackingly, head-spinningly, brain-addlingly delicious. Sweet, spicy and savory, Candied JalapeƱo rings are way too easy to eat on just about everything.
I’ve stashed them in sandwiches, chopped them up on baked beans, tucked them into tacos, used the syrup to brush meat on the grill. You’ll find them perched on top of a cream cheese laden cracker and all sorts of other evil things at our house.
For such a simple thing to can, these pack tons of flavor. You’re going to want to make as many Candied Jalapenos as you possibly can simultaneously.
Because once that first jar is cracked open you’re not going to be able to stop eating them. And I mean that.
I am not kidding with you when I say that I barter with jars of these for valuable goods. Candied JalapeƱos have fed my fine pottery addiction because my favourite local potter is as Candied JalapeƱo fixated as I am with her pottery.
Canning Cowboy Candy
Hate canning? Afraid of canning?
For those of you who may be freaking out slightly or massively over the idea of canning, rest easy. You do not actually have to can these: you can refrigerate them.
You can follow all of the instructions up to the actual canning portion, then stash the jars of candied jalapenos in the refrigerator for up to three months. You get a year out of canning, but if an alternative is all that stands between you and making them, use your chill chest!
If you’d LIKE to can them, you can follow the instructions below and
Are Candied JalapeƱos Hot?
Yes. Yes they are.
On that note, wear gloves when working with the peppers. Not a wimp? Neither am I… but jalapeƱos have a notoriously wide range of heat on the Scoville scale.
Let’s address slicing the peppers, because we’re going to be going through 3 pounds, folks.The quickest, easiest way to do so is with a slicing blade on a food processor, standing the peppers on their ends in the feed chute.
No food processor? Use a mandolin! No mandolin? Just take your time and slice by hand with a very sharp knife and gloved hands.
I’ve been asked many times whether you should discard the seeds. I don’t because we like them.
Contrary to the old wives’ tales, seeds do not contain the heat of a pepper. The membrane inside the pepper packs the most punch.
Since you’re not removing that, don’t sweat the seeds. Heh. Pepper humour.
Candied JalapeƱos FAQ
Quite a few folks have asked WHEN exactly to start timing the boiling of the peppers. You begin timing them once the liquid has returned to a full rolling boil.
As soon as it reaches a full rolling boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let it simmer gently (gentle bubbles that blub up) for 4 minutes. To clarify further, you will not be boiling them HARD for 4 minutes, you will bring them to a boil then drop the heat and simmer.
Many, many people have asked me whether they messed up the recipe because their peppers look all shriveled after simmering them in the syrup, packing them in jars, and canning them. The short answer is no.
The long answer is that you’re fine and they WILL look shriveled when you jar them up if you’ve simmered them properly. They will re-plump as they spend those 4 weeks of rest time in the jar between processing and opening.
Yes, I said 4 weeks. My husband has been known to crack a jar at the two week mark out of desperation for candied jalapenos, but he will absolutely agree with me that they improve immensely in flavour and texture when left to mellow for at least 4 weeks after processing.
Try to be patient. You’ll be rewarded.
How to serve candied jalapenos:
On cream cheese and crackers, obviously… On sandwiches, on salads, chopped up in dips, on taco soup, on tortilla soup, on tacos, on pizza…
The sky is the limit. I kind of suspect my husband would eat them on breakfast cereal if he didn’t know I’d wonder about his sanity.
Use these to make Candied Jalapenos:
Food processor with a slicing disc
Large Stainless Steel stockpot
long handled stainless steel slotted spoon
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Are you worried it will be too difficult? I promise it isn’t!
In fact, I have this video to show you just how easy the process is! Check it out!
Candied Jalapenos
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh firm, jalapeno peppers, washed
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 6 cups white granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 3 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers. The easiest way to do this is to slice a small disc off of the stem-end along with the stem. Discard the stems.
- Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.
- In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to boiling again, add the pepper slices, return to a hard boil, then reduce the heat again and simmer for exactly 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar. Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.
- Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices. Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.
- *If you have leftover syrup, and it is likely that you will, you may can it in half-pint or pint jars, too. Itās wonderful brushed on meat on the grill or added to potato salad or, or, orā¦ In short, donāt toss it out!
- Place jars in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth then label.
- Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. Or donāt. I wonāt tell!
Notes
Nutrition
Want more Food Preservation recipes like Candied Jalapenos? Try these!
- Homemade Claussen Knock-off Pickles
- Cherry Habanero Lime Jam
- Easy Fast Kimchi
- Fire Cider Health Tonic and Homeopathic Remedy
- Instant Hummus in a Jar
- Best Thing Tomatoes
- How to Freeze Rice
- Ginger Peach Preserves
- Three In One Pears
- Root Beer Syrup
- Zesty Corn Relish
- Habanero Peach Jam
Originally posted May 23, 2010, updated in March, 2015 and July, 2017.
Drew says
Love the recipe, thanks! This is my first year trying to can. Is there some rule where the food needs to stay below the liquid? When i packed them it was all submerged but 2 weeks onto resting now I’ve noticed the Jalapenos plumping back pushed some out of the liquid. Are they still good for a year in the pantry?
Rebecca says
Hi Drew- They’ll be fine for a year in the pantry! That plumping is a sign you did it right!
Johanna says
When you say let them sit 2-4 weeks, do you mean refrigerated or sit out on the counter/pantry?
Rebecca says
Hi Johanna! If you’ve processed the jars in a boiling water canner, you can let it sit out in the pantry or shelves… If you haven’t, that rest time needs to happen in the refrigerator. š
Lisa says
Can I ask , approximately how many medium sized jalapeƱos there is in one pound?
Rebecca says
Hi Lisa- I’m afraid I don’t personally know that one!
LeeAnn says
Mom made these using her frozen jalepeƱos and as long as you aren’t looking for a crunch they turned out delicious. I will be using all my frozen peppers to make a few batches now that she got me hooked!
Rebecca says
Thanks for that feedback, LeeAnn!!!! Were they pretty soft?
Charissa says
Ok these taste amazing. Seriously so great! I did have a problem with my Syrup hardening though. Do you have any idea what might have caused this? I canned them in 125 ml jars, Iām at 3000 ft altitude so I processed them for 10 mins. Iām thinking either I used too much sugar, boiled the syrup too much after taking the jalapeƱos out, or processed the jars too long. If you have any ideas please help, I love the flavour of this recipe you did a great job! TIA š
Rebecca says
Hi Charissa! If you measured your sugar carefully, it sounds to me like perhaps you over-boiled the syrup after removing the peppers. If you eyeballed the sugar, that might have contributed to the problem, too. š I admit, I’m not as familiar with trouble shooting cooking that’s at higher altitudes, though!
Rie says
Hi Rebecaa!
If I wanted to can this up in 4 oz jars (more little Christmas gifts), how long would you recommend processing/boiling them, or would you not recommend this small of a jar? Thanks!!
Rie
Barbara Magnus says
Wow – way too hot!
I followed the recipe exactly (sliced the jalapeƱos on a mandolin (took quite a bit of time!). I will make this recipe again, leaving out the cayenne pepper. I also felt that this recipe could use more sugar. So, the next time around, I will add 2 extra cups of sugar and leave out the cayenne. Then mix my two batches, and re-bottle. This recipe gave me 4 cups of jalapeƱos and an extra 4 cups of juice.
FYI: My jalapeƱos are still a bit crunchy, which I like.
Would anyone have some suggestions how else I could diminish the heat?
Rebecca says
Hi Barbara- Have you let them rest for 4 weeks yet? They do mellow quite a lot in that time as well as re-plump. And did you follow the cooking times exactly? Generally, the peppers are not crunchy at the end of the cook time. That will also effect it. š
Lori L Silva says
Quick question on canning cowboy candy (candied jalapenos). Could I use frozen jalapenos? I have alot in the freezer and wanted to try something fun.
Rebecca says
Hi Lori- Unfortunately, I don’t recommend using frozen jalapeƱos for this recipe. When you freeze and thaw them, you’re breaking down cell walls and that would make them get mushy during the process needed to “candy” them.
Ron says
Weāll Iāve made this recipe a few times and everyone loves it. This year there is a slight difference to my experience. Between the time I set them aside to plump up and get extra tasty and when I was going to break them out for eating I was diagnosed with diabetes. I know I can still have them but now with much greater moderation. I checked the nutritional info at the end of the recipe so I would know how to proceed but I donāt see anywhere on it what the serving size is. Maybe I am just not seeing it but without it the rest is pointless. Please let me know the serving size for the nutritional info. Thanks for the great recipe. Now I just need to figure out how I can still enjoy it.
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for reaching out, Ron. I’m going to try to help you out, but it’s going to involve a little math. HAHA. Okay, the total recipe nutritionals take into account EVERYTHING that goes into the recipe, including the leftover syrup (which I’m assuming you have.) The recipe assumes that there are 60 servings of everything all together. Now, I know you’re not going to drink that syrup with a straw… Correction, I *presume* you won’t do that. š That said, the serving size is going to be 1/60th of everything for the nutritionals to be accurate. 1/60th of the brine+jalapeƱos. So, here’s the deal. The way you slice it definitely effects the yield.
With the knowledge that there are 16 tablespoons in each cup, you can break down your total yield into 60. And it would probably be good to remember that you’re likely not going to be consuming all the syrup, so your net carbs will be slightly lower per serving.
Ron says
Thanks so much for the reply. I do appreciate your quick response. One follow up question and I donāt mean any disrespect with this but how did you determine the nutritional values for this recipe? I find it kind of hard to believe that 6 cups of sugar can in any way boil down to only 21g. Maybe I donāt understand the science on that but I checked and 1 cup of granulated sugar is 201g. So something like 1200g of sugar becomes 21g by boiling it with vinegar? Can you help me out with that?
Ron Davis says
Tried for the first time in Colorado while hunting, I was hooked, just finished my second batch and I love them, recipe was exactly the same as what I tasted, šš, RD
Rebecca says
I’m so glad you love them, Ron! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!!!
Linda Lutich says
These are fabulous. I had never canned before in my life. One question: when you said to place the jars in a canner and cover with water by 2ā, do you mean put water 2ā below the tops of the jars? Thank you!!
Rebecca says
Hi Linda! What that means is that there should be water at a level that rises 2-inches above the tops of the jars. I’m so glad you love these.
Nancy says
I just finished canning a batch of these from my garden. I ate a small leftover piece of jalapeƱo (that didn’t make it Into the canning jar )and WOWSER it was HOT – I hope these mellow out some in the 4 weeks sitting time. I should have probably just omitted the cayenne pepper since my garden’s jalapeƱos have a tendency to be pretty hot. I can see me serving this with cream cheese and crackers. I had about 2/3 of a half pint jar of the syrup that I put into the canning bath too – I hope that isn’t an issue that it wasn’t completely full. Thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca says
Hi Nancy! I can promise it will mellow somewhat… it always does over the 4 week rest. š But if it was hot going in, it’ll be hot in 4 weeks. š
Alissa says
These are fantastic and I love your canning book. I hope you plan on writing another one. I have some lovely foods in my pantry all thanks to your book.
Rebecca says
Hi Alissa! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love the book! As a matter of fact, I have two more cookbooks available: “The Ultimate Guide to Vegetable Side Dishes” and “Ready, Set, Dough! Beginner Breads for All Occasions.”
Rosemary Brock says
Terrific recipe!
I had enough extra syrup, I used it for a second batch. I also made a _third_ batch where I used red & green jalapenos for ~2/3’s of the peppers and then I used the mini red/ orange/ yellow mini bell peppers for the rest. The bell peppers picked up a fair amount of heat during the sitting process — and were really pretty.
Rebecca says
Oooh, I bet those are lovely, Rosemary! I wish I could eat, er, see them. š
Vet says
If I wanted to make them mild should I leave out the Cayenne ?
Rebecca says
Hi Vet! Yes to leaving out the Cayenne and you may want to scrape the membrane/seeds out, too, if you really want them mild!
Alice Horne says
Hi! Iām getting ready to make my 4th batch ( Christmas presentsš) so I have quite a lot of leftover syrup. Have you ever re-used it? I just hate to throw it away, but canāt imagine using that much on anything else. Thanks!
Rebecca says
Sometimes I make refrigerator pickles with them! Just toss in all sorts of goodies to the syrup!
Joanne says
Try using the syrup to baste bbq pork or ribs at end before pulling off like you would bbq sauce. Or as a condiment with it warmed up a little. Sweet, hot and tangy = YUMMY!!
Also, I have been making a wonderful spread for crackers that people are raving about. Two 8 oz cream cheese softened. I add chopped up candied jalapeƱos, bacon bits (I use store bought) and the syrup. Then I use a hand mixer to blend. This is all to taste and I add a fair amount of the syrup. It never seems strong enough when I first make it, so you absolutely need to make it the day before or first thing in the morning if you are serving that evening. Wow, sitting in the frig for 12-24 hours makes a huge difference. Then if you need to add more you know the flavors have fully blended. Try it, you will love it and it stays in the frig for many days.
Rebecca says
That sounds delicious, Joanne! I’m going to try that dip soon!!!
Dan & Grace says
This recipe has changed my life and my families life. I am not on my second batch in 3 weeks. Family and friends also asking me for a jar for the holiday. Thank you so much for this.
Rebecca says
Yeehah, Dan & Grace! That’s awesome!! Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it!
Lindsay says
If I’m not going to can them, should I still leave them to sit for 4 weeks in the fridge to develop the full flavor before opening or are the good to go right away?
Rebecca says
Hi Lindsay! I’d let them sit at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator to plump back up in the syrup.
Gagan says
Hi Lindsay!
Bouncing off this question, how long will it stay good for without canning?
Rebecca says
Hi Gagan! If not canned, you can get about 3 months unopened in the refrigerated! Once opened, you can get about 2 weeks in the fridge!!
Kathy says
Delicious recipe! Canāt get enough of them and would like to can them but am hesitant since jalapeƱos are low acid. The similar Ball canning recipe has more vinegar : 3 cups of vinegar to 4 cups sugar. Has this recipe been lab tested for safety?
Rebecca says
Hi Kathy- This has not been lab tested, but I’m confident this is a safe recipe based on a couple of things. Please don’t forget that it isn’t so much the vinegar to sugar ratio (because sugar has preservation qualities, too) as it is the overall acidity of the brine. There is no water added to this, so the brine is pure sugar/vinegar which is plenty acidic for preserving a paltry 3 pounds of peppers!
That said, if you’re uncomfortable with it, definitely take a pass on it.
And thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it!
Therese L Richmond says
Has anyone tried this with serranos?
Rebecca says
Hi Therese- I’ve seen some folks here in the comment section try that but haven’t tried it personally. Please let me know how it works for you if you do!