Who remembers the Mother Goose tongue twister about Peter Piper’s Pickled Peppers?
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
When I am making pickled jalapeno peppers I can’t help but think of Peter Piper and his pickled peppers. My husband will even come into the kitchen saying the tongue twister. I can also say I completely understand why Peter Piper picked a peck of pickle peppers and where they went. Pickled peppers are delicious and if Peter Piper’s were anything like my delicious, pickled jalapeno peppers they all went in his belly.
Every year I grow jalapeno peppers in my garden. My family loves the added heat they bring to different recipes and well then there are jalapeno poppers too. My family is addicted to those. So growing them is a no brainer, they will get eaten. The thing with jalapenos is when the conditions are right you will have jalapenos coming out of your ears! Then you are left wondering what do I do with all your extra peppers. I have started pickle ours. It’s easy to do and depending on how many plants you have, getting a peck (there are 2 gallons in a peck) of pickled peppers may be easy. I choose to pickle ours a pint at a time.
The first step when working with jalapenos (and other peppers with any heat) is to put on gloves. A small package is only a couple of dollars and it will save your hands. Trust me, I know from experience. While milk, sour cream, yogurt and things like that can help, once your hands are burned by peppers the only real cure is time. I really wish I had known this years ago!
Once you have your gloves on the first step is simple, slice your jalapenos into rings. I vary the thickness of my slices. You will need about 2 cups of jalapeno slices to fill a pint size jar. This is equivalent to 15-20 jalapenos depending on their size.
Once your jar is full you can make up your brine for your pickled jalapenos. You will combine white vinegar, water, a little sugar, sea salt, minced garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes if you want to add a little extra heat. Bring your brine to a boil and boil until your sugar and salt have dissolved. Then pour over your sliced jalapenos. You may or may not have extra brine. I usually have a little left over that I discard the liquid but add the seasonings to my pickled jalapenos.
All that is then left to do is to add your lid and close them up. I let mine sit on the counter for 10 minutes before placing in the fridge. During this time the jar may seal but note since it has not been processed in a water bath it needs to be placed in the refrigerator. You can process these pickled jalapeno peppers if desired. If not, allow your pickled jalapenos to sit at least one week before opening. Your peppers will turn from bright green to a more olive green as they rest. Your pickled jalapeno peppers will be good for a couple of months if they last that long. They never do in our family.
Are you ready to make some Pickled Jalapeno Peppers that Peter Piper would love to pick a peck of? What is your favorite way to use up jalapenos?
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 clove garlic, crushed (1 teaspoon minced garlic)
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 15-20 large jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings (approx 2 cups)
- Add sliced jalapenos to pint jar and set aside.
- Combine water, vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a saucepan over high heat. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil until sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Pour brine into jar with sliced jalapeno peppers, covering when full. Let peppers cool for 10 minutes.
- Refrigerate for one week to allow for maximum flavor.
Recipe adapted from Quick Pickled Jalapeno Rings from Allrecipes.