Pickled Jalapeños

Quick refrigerator pickled jalapeños are the way to go! This is for Jessica and Mike, they’ve been asking for years…but you know guys, this means you now have to make your own!!

The most common question asked is, are they hot? Well, ask the jalapeño. Heat is determined by the climate in which they are grown, the dryer the soil, the hotter the pepper. A few other tidbits, the ribs and seeds are hotter than the pepper flesh; this is where the capsaicin lives. On the good ole Scoville heat level scale, jalapeño peppers are in the bottom 1/4 weighing in at around 2,500-8,000. Red jalapeños are hotter than the green. When you see brown lines or striations on the outer flesh of the pepper, they will be hotter than smooth green flesh peppers.

Pickling mixture:

2 1/2 Cups white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

4 T Organic cane sugar

2 T Kosher salt or pink himalayan salt

1 t Mexican oregano

1 C Cold water

Veg mix:

8-12 Jalapenos

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Large shallot, minced

Heat vinegar, sugar, salt and oregano to a simmer in a small, non-reactive pot over moderate heat, stirring only until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in cold water, which will bring the mixture’s temperature down significantly. Let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, slice jalapenos, mince garlic and shallots. I prefer to use a chef knife to slice the peppers, I think it works better than a mandolin for this preperation.

Choose container size, 1 quart is perfect or 2 8-10 oz. containers if you are sharing. Plastic or glass works here, either is acceptable. Layer pepper slices, garlic and shallots into container(s). Shingle as you go to distribute evenly. You may also toss the vegetables together in a bowl and then fill the container(s)…I prefer one less dish to wash.

Pour the cooled liquid over the vegetable mixture, seal and store in the refrigerator. Allow 24 hours for the pickling solution to do its thing then ENJOY!

Tip: once you eat the last pickled pepper, slice up a bunch more and add to the remaining liquid, wait 24 hours and TA-DA, you have a new batch! I use the liquid 2 times, by the 3rd, the vinegar has lost it’s umph…