These candied jalapenos are the perfect balance of sweet and heat! Seriously addictive, they are perfect on sandwiches, nachos, soups, and practically anything else.
You will never want to make plain pickled jalapenos again! These are so delicious, trust me. It might seem like a lot of sugar in this recipe but the sweetness is balanced out so well by the heat of the peppers. You cannot go wrong with these. There are so many ways to serve and eat them. I love them with a smear of cream cheese on crackers, on burgers and sandwiches, in soup, and just with any meal.
If you have an abundant harvest of jalapenos from your garden this is a great recipe to use them for! Making them with store bought jalapenos is also a great option. I have included instructions for canning in a water bath but you can also just store them in the refrigerator if you plan to use them quickly. Keep in mind that they will only last about 3 months in the refrigerator. If you have a lot of jalapenos it really is worth it to make a large amount and process them with a water bath.
Tips and Tools Needed
This recipe is super simple but there are a few tips and suggestions I have for you.
- Use gloves- When slicing the jalapenos you want to be sure to wear gloves! I wear plain latex gloves. I have tried washing very well with dish soap immediately after slicing the peppers but it did not work, trust me you want to wear gloves.
- Peppers- Only use fresh jalapenos. Peppers that have been previously canned or frozen will turn to mush in the cooking process. You can also experiment with candying other types of peppers, just make sure you use the same amount. I’d personally like to try habaneros!
- Give them time to mellow- If you can resist, wait about 3 weeks before digging into your candied jalapenos. The peppers will mellow and all the flavors will merry together wonderfully!
- Water bath canning- I love this water bath canner. It comes with a lid magnet and jar lifter, both of which I use often.
How to Make Candied Jalapenos
Get your water bath canner ready and simmer the jars until you’re ready to use them. Make sure you have at least 1 ” of water above the tops of your jars. This will ensure that when they are filled and have the lids on you won’t have to be adding more water for processing. Wash lids and bands with soapy water, simmer lids in small saucepan of water to sanitize until you need them. Then wash and slice your peppers, you’ll want to use gloves for slicing the peppers. In a medium saucepan combine the vinegar, honey (or sugar), salt, and turmeric. Bring to a boil then add peppers. Reduce the heat and simmer jalapenos for 15 minutes. Ladle hot peppers into the hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims and place lids on finger tight. If you are just wanting to refrigerate them then let the jars cool fully before doing so. If you plan to can them process in a water bath 15 minutes, adjust time for altitude. You can find out how much to adjust for altitude here. Lift jars out of the water bath and place on a towel to cool. Never put hot jars on a cool countertop.
Candied Jalapenos
Ingredients
- 4 pounds jalapenos
- 3 cups vinegar (apple cider vinegar or white)
- 4 cups honey (or sugar)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Wash peppers well and slice into rings about 1/4". Set aside.
- Combine all ingredients besides peppers into a medium/large sauce pan. You want to have enough room for the syrup to rise up. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Add peppers and reduce heat to low. Simmer peppers in syrup 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove jars from water bath canner and place onto a towel. I like to use a jar lifter for this step.
- Ladle hot peppers and syrup into jars. Leave a 1/2 inch headspace.
- Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth. Place lids and rings on then tighten.
- Refrigerate for up to 3 months or follow water bath canning instructions below.
Processing
- Carefully lower jars into water bath canner. Make sure the jars are covered by at least 1" of water. Process 15 minutes, adjust for altitude using chart linked above.
- Let jars cool fully on a towel before storing.