Two years ago I planted four jalapeño pepper plants on a whim. The plants thrived and I got a small bounty of peppers. Obviously when the frost came I had to do something with them, so I pickled my first three jars of jalapeños.
Last year I did two small batches, one in early August and one at frost. Bear in mind that I have never pickled more than four, 500ml jars at a time so I have never heat processed them. They get eaten in under a month so it hasn’t been necessary. This year we had some thieving deer wander up from the ravine and eat the leaves off the plants stunting their growth and killing some. If we get a bigger crop next year I will heat process them, but this year it looks like I’ll get about three jars.
I googled a simple recipe. They turned out nicely so I wrote the recipe in my recipe scribbler. Every year I go back to that recipe and wonder because it has no sugar or salt, but it works.
Quick pickled jalapeño peppers:
I started by blanching the peppers, then slicing them.
The slices go into a pot with equal parts water and white wine vinegar and clove of two of garlic, which I bring to a boil.
I ladle the peppers into jars, and cover them with the remaining liquid.
Then I stick the jars in the fridge. They taste best after a couple days, then they go fast.
These were a particular favourite of my middle son. He likes that they are crispier that store bought. I like them because they are more garlicky. The boys all put them on pizzas/calzones, sandwiches, paninis, and my husband puts them on his meat, cheese and pickle snack plates.
It’s pretty small scale pickling, but it’s very satisfying to see how enthusiastically they get eaten.
Make me eat my words. 