Preserved Candied Jalapenos are bite-sized morsels of heat and sweet – these are highly addictive, easy to prepare, and are a great addition to so many of your favourite recipes! This recipe makes four jars, but can easily be doubled or tripled if you feel like sharing! These make a great bring-along hostess gift too!
I was never a fan of spicy food, but over the past year or so, I have been slowly increasing the amount of heat I add to my food. I feel like I have conquered dried red chili flakes, so it was time to venture into the world of jalapenos – and Preserved Candied Jalapenos was the perfect way to start!
I’ve added jalapenos to a few recipes over the years, but I would always cut back on the suggested amount, because I used to have such a fear of them burning my tongue and my insides. But, just recently, I tried adding canned, fire-roasted jalapenos to a dip recipe and it was absolutely delicious!
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MY INSPIRATION FOR THIS RECIPE
A few weeks ago, John.e and I were strolling through one of our favourite markets, and I saw this little girl, helping what looked like her mom and dad, sell their home-grown produce. In addition to beets, beans, and zucchini, they had bell peppers and jalapenos. I scooped up three pounds of the jalapenos and put them to the test with this Preserved Candied Jalapenos recipe.
Not having much experience with jalapenos, but a huge fan of canning and preserves, I knew this was the recipe I wanted to try! There’s a blogger that I admire, although I have never met him. He lives here in Toronto and has been blogging for a much longer time that I have.
His name is Kevin and you can find him at Closet Cooking. His recipe for Preserved Candied Jalapenos was the inspiration for this particular version. I did change the recipe just a little from the original, and I’ll explain to you why I did so.
CHANGES AND MODIFICATIONS
Kevin’s recipe has garlic cloves in it. I love garlic, but I don’t like the taste of preserved garlic. A few years back, I made a pickle recipe which had garlic cloves in it, and the garlic took over the entire flavour of the condiment. Not only did I taste only garlic, but the garlic taste was a bit off. I ended up tossing the whole batch of pickles into the garbage. So, since then, I have been weary about using fresh garlic in my canning recipes.
The second change that I made was to lower the amount of sugar. I have been canning using the water bath method for over fifteen years, so I knew I could lower the sugar content and not compromise the flavour of the jalapenos, or put the batch at risk of spoiling by not having enough sugar to help with preservation.
I lowered the sugar amount from three cups to two cups. Lastly, I left out the coriander seeds. To me, coriander tastes just a little too much like cilantro. Is that just me? I left it out, because there’s not a flavour or ingredient in the entire world that I dislike more than cilantro.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
- Jalapenos – You will need about three pounds to get 4 jars. Slice the jalapenos about 1/4 inch thick. If you want them to be less spicy, you can remove the seeds. If you can find red jalapenos you should get some! I wish I could have found some when I was canning this batch. Red jalapenos are the same as green except that they were left on the vine much longer to ripen. The mixture of red and green looks great in the jars.
- Celery Seeds – This spice is made from the seeds of wild celery. The stalks and leaves of wild celery have a stronger flavour than common celery, so the wild variety is typically only used as the source of seeds for celery seed spice. Although they are tiny, celery seeds are in fact the whole, dried fruit of the wild celery plant.
- Cider Vinegar
- Sugar – Only use regular granulated sugar here.
HOW TO MAKE PRESERVED CANDIED JALAPENOS
PREPARE THE JARS AND CANNER FIRST
Once the chopping of the jalapenos is complete, the rest of this recipe comes together quickly, so get your jars ready first. Prepare 4 250 ml jars by washing them thoroughly with hot, soapy water. Be sure to rinse the jars until the soap residue is gone. Set the jars aside. Next, boil a kettle full of water. Place the seals into a large bowl. Pour the boiled water over top and let them sit.
Prepare your canning pot for the water bath method. I use a large stock pot with a round metal cooling rack at the bottom so that the jars do not touch the bottom of the pot. Fill the pot half full with water and bring to a full boil.
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PREPARE THE RECIPE
Next, prepare the recipe by adding the vinegar, sugar, and celery seeds to a large saucepan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a low boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the sliced jalapenos and stir to ensure the jalapenos are submerged as much as possible in the vinegar solution. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Once the 5 minutes have passed, use a ladle to spoon the jalapenos into the prepared jars. I like to use a metal funnel to avoid any of them from coming into contact with the rim of the jar. This will help to create a better and safer seal. Fill the jar so that only 1/2 inch of head space remains. Once you have filled the jars, top up the jars with the leftover vinegar solution. Remove the funnel and place a hot, sterilized seal on the jar. Screw on the lid until just snug. Be careful! The jar will be hot! Use a kitchen towel to hold the jar in place as you screw on the lid.
LET THE CANNING BEGIN
Using a jar lifter, place the filled jars into the large pot of boiling water. Bring the pot back to a boil and allow the jarred jalapenos to remain in the boiling water for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the jars and place them on a kitchen towel where they will not be disturbed. As the jars cool, you’ll hear a popping sound. This is the hot liquid and air in the jar cooling down and contracting. This will create an air-tight seal and will allow you to store your jalapenos for future consumption.
For best results, I recommend allowing the jars to sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours. With a damp cloth, wipe down the jars, re-tighten the lids, and store them in a dark, cool place. The jalapenos will last for 12-18 months. Lastly, if you notice that a jar has not been properly sealed, simply refrigerate that particular jar, and consume it within the next 5-7 days. To test whether or not the jars are sealed, lightly press down on the seal. If the seal pops downward, the sealing process did not work.
HOW TO USE PICKLED JALAPENOS
What you’re left with is a very spicy and sweet, pickled jalapeno. They are so good! Top your favourite burger with these guys; or add a few slices to a hot dog. Chop them up and add them to your macaroni and cheese. Or drain them and blend them with sour cream, softened cream cheese, some finely chopped onion, and a little minced garlic. Bake at 350 until nice and bubbly – about 20 minutes. Such a great dip option!
Or, as I mentioned previously, bring these to a summer picnic. Give them as hostess gifts. Wrap them up all pretty as I have done with the jute string and the fabric skirt. There’s absolutely no use in fussing over jalapenos so much if you’re not going to put a little pride into your hard work and show them off a little.
I tend to like pretty things, so you’ll notice that most of my preserve recipes are dolled up with a fabric skirt and a bow tie made from jute. Take a look at my Trader Joe’s Copycat Cowboy Caviar, my Preserved Mustard Pickles, or my Dad’s Canned Pickled Beets for more fabric skirt inspiration!
Do You Like This Recipe?
You should consider trying these other delicious recipes too!
Preserved Candied Jalapenos
Ingredients
- 3 pounds jalapeno, sliced 1/4 inch thick, stems discarded
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- Once the chopping is out of the way, this recipe comes together quickly, so get your jars ready first.
- Prepare 4 250 ml jars by washing them thoroughly with hot, soapy water. Be sure to rinse the jars until the soap residue is gone. Set the jars aside. Next, boil a kettle full of water. Place the seals into a large bowl. Pour the boiled water over top and let them sit.
- Prepare your canning pot for the water bath method. I use a large stock pot with a round metal cooling rack at the bottom so that the jars do not touch the bottom of the pot. Fill the pot half full with water and bring to full boil.
- Next, prepare the recipe by adding the vinegar, sugar, and celery seeds to a large sauce pan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a low boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the sliced jalapenos and stir to ensure the jalapenos are submerged as much as possible into the vinegar solution.
- Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Once the 5 minutes has passed, use a ladle to spoon the jalapenos into the prepared jars. I like to use a metal funnel to avoid any of them from coming into contact with the rim of the jar. This will help to create a better and safer seal. Fill the jar so that only 1/2 inch of head space remains. Once you have filled the jars, top up the jars with the leftover vinegar solution. Remove the funnel and place a hot, sterilized seal on the jar. Screw on the lid until just snug. Be careful! The jar will be hot! Use a kitchen towel to hold the jar in place as you screw on the lid.
- Using a jar lifter, place the filled jars into the large pot of boiling water. Bring the pot back to a boil and allow the jarred jalapenos to remain in the boiling water for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the jars and place on a kitchen towel where they will not be disturbed. As the jars cool, you’ll hear a popping sound. This is the hot liquid and air in the jar cooling down and contracting. This will create an air-tight seal and will allow you to store your jalapenos for future consumption.
- For best results, I recommend allowing the jars to sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours. With a damp cloth, wipe down the jars, re-tighten the lids, and store in a dark, cool place. The jalapenos will last for 12-18 months. Lastly, if you notice that a jar has not properly sealed, simply refrigerate that particular jar, and consume within the next 5-7 days. To test whether or not the jars are sealed, lightly press down on the seal. If the seal pops downward, the sealing process did not work.
Notes
Nutrition
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Linda Bishop says
I only discovered these a few months ago, bought a bottle at Trader Joe’s and was hooked. Since then I have tried at least 6 different recipes and yours is by far my favorite. The others were good but over the top sweet, these are perfect!