Sweet Jalapenos?

Our newspaper runs the food section every Wednesday. This week they featured a lady who makes jalapeno jelly and pickled jalapeno pepper slices. Jalapeno plants are hearty producers and they are usually plentiful in the stores for around $1 a pound. I am going to give you the recipe for pickled slices, and a recipe I got some time ago from a dear friend for sweet pickled jalapenos. For the basic pickled jalapeno slices:

5 cups jalapenos, sliced thin
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. canning salt (no iodine)

Simmer jalapenos in water for 5 to 7 minutes until tender.

Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in another pan.

Using a slotted spoon to drain the slices, fill jars with the slices. Cover with the vinegar mix. Seal with hot lids or keep in refrigerator.

This is akin to pepper jelly without all the fuss:

4 lbs. fresh jalapeno peppers slice, or use a large institutional size jar of sliced pickled peppers.*
2 lbs. onion, diced into bite size chunks
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
6-8 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. turmeric
2 tsp. celery seed (optional)
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger

Slice the fresh jalapenos into thin slices, or drain the pre-sliced jar of jalapeno, reserving 1 cup of the liquid and dice the onions.

Place jalapenos and onion into pan with water and vinegar. *If you used the already canned slices, use the 1 cup of liquid you saved. Since the peppers are already cooked, just put the onion in the pan and cook until tender, then add the peppers and add the sugar and spices and proceed.

Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.

Simmer until tender - about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and pour off the liquid. Do not breathe the fumes. It will be fine if there is a little of the liquid left.

Add sugar and spices to the jalapenos. Put back on the stove and bring to soft ball stage (use a candy thermometer or test a small amount of the liquid in ice cold water) to completely dissolve the sugar.

When the liquid has thickened to your satisfaction, place boiling mixture into sterilized jars leaving about 1/4 inch headspace and top with a hot jar lid and ring.  OR, if you have used the large jar of peppers you can just put them back in the jar and refrigerate.

I made several batches of these and the sweet peppers are delicious in potato or tuna salad or on burgers. Hubby ate them as a relish with his evening meals. The typical way to enjoy them is on a Ritz cracker spread with cream cheese and topped with the peppers.

If you don't like the super hot pickle, try splitting the fresh jalapeno in half length wise and removing the seeds. Always remember to wear gloves when working with that many peppers...they will burn your little fingers! And especially do not rub your nose or eyes!

We also do poppers on the grill...they are yummy! We have found that the really large peppers are a little milder that the smaller ones. Split them in half length wise, remove the seeds and white pith and fill with a mixture of softened cream cheese and crumbled, cooked breakfast sausage. Wrap each pepper half with a half piece of raw bacon, securing the bacon with a toothpick if necessary. Our grill has a rack in the lid....we just put the poppers up there and cook until the bacon is done. If you are feeling industrious, you could make a large batch and freeze them and cook when you get ready.

Have a great day!