Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this jalapeño recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H. They’re crispy and tangy, sweet and spicy, and I have to give fair warning. They’re very addictive. I can’t help myself from stealing a few straight out of the jar to munch on for a mildly spicy, tangy snack. they’re just so good! And, they only take about 10 minutes to make! It’s outstanding for a slow cook like me who takes forever in the kitchen. Even I can whip together a quick batch of quick pickled jalapeños for all sorts of enjoyment. Let’s talk about how to make pickled jalapenos, shall we? Make the Pickling Brine. Add white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar), water, garlic cloves, honey or sugar, salt, bay leaf, black pepper and Mexican oregano (and other seasonings) to a pot. Bring to a boil. I use these Ball Jars (affiliate link, my friends!). They can hold a lot of peppers! Bonus. Refrigerate. Top the jalapenos with a jar cover and keep them in the fridge after they cool to room temperature. I like to let mine sit in the refrigerator a good week before enjoying them. The brine and seasonings penetrate the jalapeno slices more deeply, resulting in greater flavor. Boom! Done! Super easy, right? You won’t be able to fit as many jalapenos in a jar as sliced jalapeno peppers, but they will last as long.
What Do Pickled Jalapenos Taste Like?
Pickled jalapeños are tangy from the vinegar brine, slightly sweet from the (optional) addition of sugar or honey, and herbaceous from the Mexican oregano and bay leaf. You can easily add other ingredients to flavor your pickled peppers. Other popular ingredients include cumin seeds, dried basil, mustard seeds, coriander, ginger, allspice, chili flakes and more. You can also skip the sugar or honey if you prefer less sweet, or increase the amount for sweeter jalapenos. See my post on Pickling Spices for Pickling Peppers. The peppers also maintain their crunch factor for a long time. Some pickled peppers can go a bit soft. This is usually a result of boiling the jalapenos for too long, or from processing the jars for too long in a water bath. The length of heat exposure is what causes them to go soft, so keep this in mind. Don’t boil them for too long.
How Long Do Pickled Jalapenos Last?
Pickled jalapenos will last for several weeks in the refrigerator, easily up to 3 months or longer. Vinegar and salt act as a preservative, letting the pickled peppers keep for longer. If you’d like to keep your pickled peppers for longer outside of the refrigerator, check out my post on How to Pickle Chili Peppers for information on how to can or jar pickled peppers with a boiling water bath. Quick Note: This is not meant to be a long term preserving method for chili peppers. It is more of a quick pickle to store in the fridge, a short term preserving solution, allowing you to prolong the life of the peppers for many months, which is still a long time. That’s it, my friends! I hope you enjoy your pickled jalapeño recipe! Better than anything store bought. NOTE: This recipe was updated on 8/26/22 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 5/10/19.
