Pickled Jalapenos

Love pickled jalapeños? Then you’re going to love this easy recipe for homemade pickled jalapeños! Pickling is a great way to preserve your homegrown jalapeño peppers and enjoy them all year long. This simple recipe will have you canning your spicy green harvest in no time!

You know you're in for something when your mom calls giggling. "I've got some garden goodness for you!"

Later that day, she dropped off 5 pounds of fresh jalapeños. FIVE POUNDS.

So I did my usual, I made dehydrated jalapeños, I made frozen jalapeños, I fermented jalapenos and I STILL had a bowl full of hot peppers left.

Kevy walked by while I had the kitchen straight up destroyed and saw the pile of jalapeños that still needed to be preserved and the defeated look on my face. Thankfully, he's the brains of this operation and he reminded me that it's been a few years since I canned pickled jalapeño peppers.

This pickled jalapeños recipe is dedicated to the brains.

Jump to:

• Tips + Tricks
• Canning Safety
• Key Ingredients
• How To Can Pickled Jalapeños
• Batch + Storage Information
• How To Use Pickled Jalapeños
• More Great Canning Recipes
• Recommended Equipment
• 📖 Printable Recipe
• Pin this pickled jalapeños recipe!

Tips + Tricks

No. 1 --> If you're new to the canning process, this is a great recipe to start with. It's quick, easy, and if you follow my simple steps you'll be set. It's one of the easiest canning recipes and it's the perfect way to use plenty of jalapeños!

No. 2 --> You're processing a lot of hot peppers, wear rubber gloves! I learned this the hard way the first time- after making a mega batch of spicy salsa. I had to sleep with my hand in milk because the capsaicin burned so bad!

No. 3 --> Finger-tight is such a vague term, here's how I tighten my jars: screw the bands on until the jar starts to turn on the counter, then back off about a 1/8th of a turn.

No. 4 --> Like with dill pickled carrots, you've gotta wait a couple of weeks to sample your picked peppers! The flavor will mellow and meld, and the outrageous tangy vinegar will settle down after 2-3 weeks.

No. 5 --> Don't skip adding the sliced peppers to the brine before canning. By adding the peppers to the hot brine for a few seconds, we're allowing the cell walls to burst and release some of the trapped air within the pepper itself - this helps to keep them suspended in the brine and avoids floating.

Canning Safety

Sterilizing Jars:

Everyone and their dog has their own way of sterilizing jars, but make sure that you do it. National Center For Food Preservation has clear guidelines about sterilizing jars.

Processing Time:

Elevation	Processing Time
0-1,000 feet	10 minutes
1,001 - 3,000 feet	15 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet	20 minutes

** Processing time for pint-sized jars only

Key Ingredients

Jalapeños: Choose fresh, firm, ripe jalapeños without blemishes, holes, or mold. Any jalapeños with wrinkled or dark spots should be either discarded or have those bits cut out. This recipe also works well with banana peppers and other hot peppers!

Vinegar: Vinegar is used to increase the acidity of the vegetables. Higher acidity kills off microorganisms and aids in preserving the jalapeños, preventing spoilage.

Sugar: Reduces some of the sourness of the vinegar and saltiness of the pickling salt.

Pickling salt: Salt is added to this recipe for flavor as the vinegar brine takes care of acidifying the brine. If you don't have canning salt, you can replace it with coarse kosher salt.

How To Can Pickled Jalapeños

Prepare:

1. Fill a large water bath canner with enough water level to cover the pint jars by at least an inch. Bring this water to a full boil.
2. Meanwhile, sterilize your jars via your preferred method.
3. Add vinegar, water, pickling salt, and granulated sugar to a large saucepan. Bring this mixture to a boil.

Slice:

1. Meanwhile, wash the jalapeños well, and slice them into even-sized rings. Use disposable gloves to prevent the capsaicin from burning your skin. I used my KitchenAid Exact Slice attachment for this job to make it quick and painless.

Can:

1. Once the pickling liquid comes to a boil, remove from heat and add the jalapeño slices and crushed garlic cloves allow to rest for 30-60 seconds.
2. Place a canning funnel on top of the jars and ladle the jalapeño rings and hot brine into the jars. Top off each clean jar with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. If desired, run a canning spatula or clean chopstick along the edges of the jar to release the air bubbles.
3. Wipe the lips of each jar before placing the lid and tightening the rings finger-tight.
4. Use a jar lifter or canning tongs to transfer the hot jars to the hot water bath ensuring water is 1-2 inches above the jars. Cover the canner with the lid. Once the water bath returns to a full rolling boil, begin your timer.
5. Process each jar for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and set on a heatproof surface to cool untouched for 24 hours at room temperature before removing rings, wiping down and storing for later use.
6. Allow the jars of pickled pepper slices to rest for 2-3 weeks before opening them.

Batch + Storage Information

Batch:

This recipe as written gives three pint (500ml) jars. It can easily be halved, doubled, or tripled if required.

If you have extra jalapeños and brine that won't fit in your canning jars, quickly sterilize another jar, transfer the leftover sliced peppers and brine into that jar and store them in the fridge. You'll have quick refrigerator pickles - they'll keep for at least 2 weeks!

Storage:

Keep your canned jalapeños in a cool dark space, and use them within 12 months. Once opened, keep the jar in your fridge for up to a month.

How To Use Pickled Jalapeños

Pickled jalapeños are great for adding an acidic heat to your recipes. I love adding them to a number of things:

• air fryer nachos or tacos
• cornbread
• pizza topping
• smoked queso
• chili topping
• top homemade burgers or hot dogs
• cheese boards
• jalapeno and cheddar sourdough

More Great Canning Recipes

Recommended Equipment

Water Bath Canner: I have and LOVE an ALL-AMERICAN CANNER. Yes, it's a pressure canner, but it works for water bath canning too! The 925 model is a beast, she can handle whatever I toss her way! If you're new to canning and not sure you'll love it, there are some really reasonably priced WATER BATH CANNERS out there too.

Mason Jars: MASON JARS are an investment, but they'll last you for years and years with proper care and maintenance. I have some Improved GEM jars that are so old, you wouldn't believe me if I told you they've been through 5 generations of canners and still work great!

Pin this pickled jalapeños recipe!