Canned Cowboy Candy
There are several types of canned jalapeno recipes that use up my summer jalapeno harvest, but Canned Cowboy Candy is my favourite! The jalapenos are boiled in a thick syrupy brine to draw out much of the moisture which results in a slighty chewy, sweet and spicy, delicously addicting candy-like treat that tastes great on just about everything!
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Ingredients
- 8 pounds jalapenos, washed and cut into 1/4 inch slices, stems removed and discarded (I used a combination of both red and green jalapenos.)
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 5% acidity
- 6 cups sugar
Instructions
- Begin by washing the jalapenos well. I highly recommend that you wear latex gloves to slice the jalapenos into 1/4 inch slices, discarding the stem end. Set them aside for now.
- Next, measure the vinegar and sugar into a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer and carefully add the jalapenos. Stir gently to ensure the jalapenos are fully submerged. (At this point, it may look like there is not enough liquid, but the jalapenos will release moisture and shink down slightly, so all will be right in the end.)
- Simmer the jalapenos for 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, ladle the jalapenos into your prepared jars. Be sure to fill the jar well, pushing the jalapeno slices down as you fill. If you underfill your jars, you will need more jars to accomodate the jalapenos and you will run out of brine when topping up.
- Set the filled jars aside and turn the heat back up to medium-high and bring the brine back to a full boil. Boil for 8 minutes.
- Next, ladle the brine into the jars. Remove any air bubbles.
- Top up the brine, being sure to leave 1/2-inch headspace.
- Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean, paper towel that has been moistened with vinegar. (The syrup is sugary and sticky. The vinegar will help to clean the rims well to ensure a proper seal.)
- Place the lid on the jar and process in a prepared water bath canner for 15 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the canner and allow them to rest for 24 hours on a cutting board which has been covered with a tea towel. Once cooled, wash the jars in soapy water and dry them. Label and store in a cool, dark pantry.
Notes
This recipe will yield approximately 8-10 pint-sized jars of Canned Cowboy Candy. The total yield will depend on the size of your jalapenos and how the full the jars were packed.