In the springtime, I approach food preservation as if it were an act of art. My jams are fussed over, with plenty of thought given to size of my fruit dice and maceration times. My pickles are packed into jars with great precision and accuracy. That time of year, I’m simply delighted to be anticipating the coming abundance.
Come August, my elevated aspirations are gone. I can to get it done, to get those bits of summer into their respective jars before the season is gone and I’m left with the potatoes, storage squash and kale of winter (I’m a big fan of all those vegetables, but they don’t excite me the way a peach does). And so my many acts of preservation become a bit frenzied and as easy as I can make them.
Take the jalapeno peppers I pickled recently. I bought a pound when we were in New York a few weeks ago because I wanted to bring back some little bit of the Union Square Green Market. The berries were too fragile and I didn’t see any garlic that was clean enough for my suitcase. Jalapenos are sturdy little guys and so I knew they’d withstand the rigors of the MegaBus. Plus a pound cost a mere $3, which I believe is the perfect price point for an edible souvenir.
When I got them home, I washed and halved them (please do get yourself some gloves to wear when dealing with hot peppers. I gave myself a humdinger of a capsaicin burn this time around), packed them into jars and topped them with a very basic brine.
I didn’t spice my brine at all, because I wasn’t trying to create an artisinal condiment or a pickle to be eaten on its own. I’ll use these peppers throughout the year as an ingredient in things and so I want the flavors of the peppers to remain clear and identifiable. Several will join various batches of salsa and most the rest will spice up pots of turkey chili.
The reason I like this kind of utilitarian canning is that by investing $3 and 35 minutes of effort, I’ve created something that will fill a kitchen need all year round. It breaks no culinary ground, but fills me with joy nonetheless. It also doesn’t hurt to know that I have something to turn to come January when my taste buds are in desperate need of revival.
Very Basic Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 pound of jalapeno peppers sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 tablespoons pickling salt
Instructions
- Pack clean, hot jars with peppers. Pour hot brine over top. Bubble your jars thoroughly by tapping them firmly on the countertop and using a wooden chopstick to release any stubborn bubbles. Wipe rims, apply lids and bands.
- Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Store in cool, dark place for up to a year.
Thanks for the basic recipe–just jalapenos. This is just what I was looking for. Made five 1/2 pints peppers sliced into small circle with seeds intact. Easy. Perfect for my last harvest of the year.
So glad this recipe worked so well for you!
This is my first time doing this, but am willing to try it out. See how it going to turn out.
I hope you like the finished product!
Hi this Bennie Ashley sr. From osyka mississippi I tried your picker pepper recipe today, useing jalapeno peppers can’t wait to see how I done. Thank you for your help.
You’re so welcome!
The simple way is the best for these awesome peppers, the flavour always makes you smile. Thank you from Mackenzie, BC, Canada
I’m so glad you like them!
can i go ahead and remove the seeds? or would it be best to wait..
You can remove the seeds if you want to.
Can this recipe be cut in half? Thank you
Yes. Absolutely.
without a doubt needed a plain formula for canning the abundance that I havehubby loves jalapenos and I just didnt need that large number of different flavors and have a lot of cured jalapenos.
How ironic! I was looking for a basic recipe similar to what I used years ago and found it !
I had to grow my own jalapeños in order to have the true size, taste and heat that make them special.
You updated today!
Not sure what you updated but I’m grateful I found your recipe to share with my granddaughter.
I actually just updated the recipe plugin I used today, which is why the date reflects today. But I’m glad to hear that you’re happy with this recipe!
How long should they be canned for till they are ready to eat
I like to let them sit in the brine for at least a week before opening them up for eating.
Is there a safe amount of sugar to add in order to balance out the heat? I’ve used a recipe in the past that I really like the flavor of but I’m finding that the flesh of the peppers doesn’t maintain throughout the year. They end up turning to mush after about 6-9 months. They’re sliced as rings and I’m wondering if just slicing them in half lengthwise would help. But I love the dynamic of the sweet and heat combo.
Any amount of sugar would be safe to add. Sugar never impacts the safety. And you’re right. The fewer cuts, the better they hold their texture.
How much does pepper acidity vary? Could I use this recipe with bell peppers? Or could I substitute bell pepper for the poblano pepper in your Green Tomato Salsa recipe (Preserving by the Pint)? (As you may surmise, I have some extra bells I’d like to use up.)
In your book it says to process for 5 minutes, here it says to process for 10 minutes. Is it dangerous to under-process in the water bath?
If you want to go with the 5 minute processing time, you need to sterilize the jars before you fill and process.
HI! Has anyone tried roasting and peeling their jalapenos (or other peppers) before pickling and processing in boiling water? I usually freeze my roasted chiles but I’m just wondering if this wonderfully simple recipe would work with roasted peppers. If not, I am definitely still going to try this recipe. My jalapenos usually end up on pizza or in salsa so I like to keep it simple. thanks!
I guess I should first ask if roasting the jalapenos before pickling is safe …
I don’t have a water canner … what can I use
Here’s a post on how to turn any large pot into a canning pot. https://foodinjars.com/2013/07/new-to-canning-start-here-boiling-water-bath-canning/
I just used this, more or less, for unripe tabasco (green and yellow) peppers. Due to the late frost in the midwest, I had a 2 qtof peppers on the bush tha t were going to freeze. I pricked them with a pin. A couple of jars got garlic slices. I put some leftovers in sterile baby food jars in the fridge for give aways
Question — I’m looking to make escabeche, with jalapenos, carrots and onions. Would this brine ratio work for that, or what would you recommend? Thank you!
I’d suggest that you find a recipe for escabeche that was designed for canning. This is a good one. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pickled_jalapenos_escabeche/
These have become a staple in my kitchen: super easy, super useful.
Would this work with jalapeno’s that came from the garden that have been frozen?
Unfortunately not. They would turn into mush.
thanks so much.
i am really enjoying your website
Most other pepper brines use a much higher ratio of vinegar to water than this recipe. Can you disclose where this ratio/recipe came from?
Would this recipe work for banana peppers?
According to this pH chart, peppers typically have a pH of between 5.20-5.93. That is a similar range to cucumbers. Cucumbers are safely preserved using this brine ratio and so peppers can be as well.
Any pepper that has a similar pH range can be safely canned using this recipe.
Can i leave the peppers whole? If not why?
You could. You’ll just get fewer into the jar that way.
Jalapenos are mostly air on the inside, a lot of air. They are little life-preservers. If Dustin Hoffman had grown them in his garden on Devil’s Island, then Steve McQueen could have built an escape raft with them. If you want to pickle them whole, and you can, and I do, then you have to find a way to get the air out of them as they pickle. I pickle mine naturally in a salt water brine. I think jalapenos taste much better with lactic acid versus acetic (vinegar). With natural fermentation, you have to put a weight over the veggies anyway. I also cut a cross in the pointy end and two small slits at the crown with a sharp knife before placing them in the brine. Over time, with the weight on them, and slits, the air eventually bubbles out and is replaced by the pickling brine. Result: delicious, crunchy, pickled, whole jalapenos. When mine are done pickling, I can just put them in jars in the fridge for 6-8 months, but they rarely last that long. The boiling water process used here will lose most of the crunch, but you can still do it with a weight holding the whole peppers under the vinegar brine. I recommend glass weights. You can retain some crunch with boiling water processing by adding some calcium chloride to the vinegar brine.
I have made this recipe many times! We use them pretty much anytime heat is needed in a recipe, and it adds a special something to salsa. Thanks for this perfect recipe!
123 comments for a simple hot pepper pickling! wow!
my grandmother who was born 1905 and lived 86 years, only with 4 classes of primary school, was doing this without any list of ingerdinents, even not boiling the jars and hot peppers (and not only peppers) were fine all year round on room temperature. i am doing it for years without knowing that it is such a big deal.
respect marisa!
Thank you for this recipe. I used it to can jalapenos from my garden, and other than slicing the peppers into rings, I followed your recipe exactly. I tried some of my canned peppers and I love the flavor, but they are mushy. Is there any way to prevent this without adding chemicals? I will take the mush over the chemicals (pickle crisp or alum) but I was just hoping for another solution. I have more to can tomorrow. Thanks in advance for your help and I love your blog!! You are helping me (a rookie canner) preserve the goodness from my garden. 🙂
Is the processing time the same for pints, or do we need to use half-pints, as in the photos?
Processing time is the same for pints.
I just made these but as I think back on the process I think I used too much salt thinking I was tripling the batch instead of the doubling that I really did. Will too much salt make these unsafe? Should I keep them refrigerated instead of on the shelf?
All it will do is make them saltier than usual. As long as the seals are good, they are shelf stable.
I would love to use this recipe, but I want to use it on whole jalapeño peppers. Anything special I need to do on whole peppers, other than wash them?
I’m so excited that I found this. Thanks so much for posting this. I’ve been looking for a basic canning recipe for all of the jalapenos in my garden and this looks like it’s perfect.
I only have about 4 oz jalapenos. Can I just reduce the amount for this recipe?
Yes.
I used large anaheim chiles, and diced them instead of slicing lengthwise. The recipe specifies that any small hot pepper will work, are the larger hot peppers safe too? I do not like jalapenos, but I love poblano and anaheim. Are these varieties also safe for pickling?
Looks like the National Center for Home Food Preservation says that it’s perfectly fine: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_bell_peppers.html
Hi Marisa,
Love your blog!! I just found you this year, and your posts have been so helpful as I learn to can 🙂 I just made these jalapenos last night, except I sliced them in rounds. I think I packed some jars too tight because when they settled down, one jar has jalapenos that sit well above the brine. Is there a basic formula when filling jars with smaller pieces, like fill halfway or 2/3 with pickles first?
Thank you!
Ps, I am making your tomato butter next – looks delicious and unique!!
Hi,
I used your recipe and loved it because it was so simple and easy to follow. I just pulled them put of their water bath and the jalapeños have floated to the top of the jar leaving about an 1/2in to an inch of space at the bottom of the jars. Is this normal? It was my first time canning so I’m afraid I did not pack them tight enough. Will they still be okay if this is the case? Thanks a bunch for any help or advice you can give this newbie;)
Packing them tighter probably would have prevented the float, but it doesn’t make them unsafe.
I have never canned before and I have a pound of jalapeños to use up. Do I need anything else at all besides what the recipie calls for and a ball jar with lid and ring?
You shouldn’t need anything beyond the ingredients specified in the recipe, mason jars, lids and ring. However, if you’ve never canned before, I do recommend that you read this tutorial I wrote for Serious Eats last year: http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/02/how-to-can-canning-pickling-preserving-ball-jars-materials-siphoning-recipes.html?
Here in Georgia there are many “pick your own” farms and I just went and picked my second batch of jalapenos for $8.00 a 5-gallon bucket ;0)……
anyone else who can’t/don’t have garden space..look up “pick your own” and search your state and area to find these farms that allow you to pick your own produce and fruits—great site and also for recipes and tips on canning. I believe the site is http://www.pickyourown.org …blessings, KT
I’ve seen others comment that this is just what they were looking for–so I’m apologetic about it, BUT this is exactly what I have been searching the web for—just wanted a plain recipe for canning the bounty that I have–hubby loves jalapenos and I just didn’t want all those other flavors and have plenty of pickled jalapenos–so just wnated to be able to can and enjoy the flavor of jalapeno and not pickled other flavors–so glad I came across your site. THANKS
This is fantastic! I just did 3 pounds of jalapeno rings. My husband thinks I’m a bit odd that I always get excited when the lids pop, but I know people who can food totally get it:-) Thank you for posting so many wonderful things!
Ok, just did 3# hope they are good, they look GREAT!!!! See u in a week
Ok, it’s been a week open a jar love them, GREAT recipe a BIG Thanks, I thank I’m good till next summer, thanks again.
I think this is too much salt… should it be teaspoons and not tablespoons?
Seth, it’s not typo. Pickling requires larger amounts of salt than other cooking.
Can I add carrots, onions, garlic cloves, and jalapeño together with this basic method? Thanks!
Kris, it would be better to find a recipe that was geared for all those vegetables than try to adapt this one.
Does this recipe make the peppers taste like pickles. I have 35 #s to process. Also all I have is qt. jars, do I have to process longer than the 10 min.
Great recipe, my brother loved tthem!! 🙂 tripled the recipe for 7 pints had wayyyy too much brine, fyi.
I made these with my first batch of jalapenos this summer and they are perfect! I use pickled jalapenos all the time and am so happy with this recipe! I’ll use this forever. I have a question though, I just picked my last big batch of jalapenos and I want to do them all in one big jar instead of several small ones, would it I need to change the processing time if I use a pint or quart jar?
Made these last year. They were so good that I planted more jalapeños to make more jars this year. Have a couple pounds sitting on my counter getting ready to go right now!