Don’t let your jalapeno harvest go to waste! Learn how to pickle them and enjoy the spicy goodness with this easy pickled jalapeno recipe.

fork full of pickled jalapenos made using this recipe

This pickled jalapeno recipe is perfect for preserving the last of your summer jalapenos. All you need are a dozen or so jalapenos and a few minutes to make a single jar to store in the fridge for up to six months.

This is my favorite recipe for homemade pickled jalapenos. The flavors are well-balanced, touching all parts of your palate. These pickled jalapenos are better than store-bought. Best of all, this quick pickle recipe is cheap and easy to make!

You can have pickled jalapenos ready to eat in just minutes. Let’s make some pickled jalapenos!

About Jalapeno Plants

A jalapeño pepper is the fruit of the capsicum pod type. Jalapenos are typically 5,000 to 10,000 Scoville Units, on the bottom of the scale. The heat is usually mild, producing great flavor without overheating your mouth. Pickling jalapenos mellows the heat and tones down the punch, but not all of it.

A mature jalapeno pepper plant can grow up to 3 feet tall and normally produces 25 to 40 jalapenos. It is important to pick them up regularly so they will continue to produce.

jalapenos hanging from pepper plant — If potted, you can keep a jalapeno plant alive indefinitely. My plant, Jose, passed away last winter, but I kept it alive and producing for five years!

When To Harvest Jalapenos

It takes a jalapeño plant about 90 days to mature from a seed to a fruit-producing plant. You can harvest jalapenos when they are about 3 inches long and bright green in color. If you leave them on the plant, the color turns darker green, eventually turning red, becoming sweet and hotter in flavor. The red jalapenos are perfect for making smoked chipotle peppers.

Try to avoid damaging the plant by only pulling at the base of the stem. They usually give without a lot of force.

Don’t worry—jalapenos can be found all year round in the grocery store, so you don’t need a plant to make pickled jalapenos.

How to Select Jalapenos For Pickling

It is very important to use firm peppers without soft spots, with good color and tight stems. The fresher the peppers, the better the results. Also, it is important to keep the size of the jalapenos consistent. This will help keep the texture of the slices consistent throughout the jar.

Ingredients Needed For This Pickled Jalapeno Recipe

This recipe produces one batch of pickled jalapenos. The ingredient list is short but very specific. Please read it carefully. The recipe card at the end of this post lists the full ingredient list with measurements.

Jalapeno Peppers – At least a pound, washed and free of soft spots and blemishes

Water: Use tap water, but do not use chlorinated water. Chlorinated water will kill the natural bacteria needed for fermentation. Use bottled water or filter the water if necessary.

Distilled White Vinegar (5% acidity): Distilled white vinegar is clear and colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. This is what preserves the jalapenos. The aroma is softer than regular apple cider vinegar. While it still has a tart acid flavor, it isn’t as strong, and it does not affect the color of fruits and vegetables. If you don’t have white vinegar on hand, you can use white wine vinegar or rice vinegar instead.

Salt: pickling salt, kosher, or sea salt works best for pickling. Don’t use iodized table salt, which has anti-caking agents that can make pickling liquid cloudy and change its color and taste. [READ MORE]

Sugar: The light sweetness of the sugar offsets the punch of the jalapeno’s heat and the garlic’s pungent taste. It is best to use white sugar because it doesn’t mask the rest of the pickling flavors. Honey, agave, or flavored simple syrup can also be added to the brine. However, anything darker than cane sugar will affect the color and change the taste of the final product.

Garlic: This is added to round out the flavor of the jalapenos. Use at least two cloves and smash them to break them open so they will release their oils into the brine.

hands wearing gloves slicing jalapenos — Always wear rubber gloves when handling chili peppers.

How to Make Pickled Jalapenos

This pickled jalapeno recipe is so simple! Here’s a summary of how to make pickled jalapenos. The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.

Slice the Jalapenos: Wash the jalapenos peppers and cut them into rings. Always wear rubber gloves when working with chilies, and wash your hands immediately after handling them.

open jar of pickled jalapenos made from this recipe

Pack the Jar: Place one smashed garlic clove near the bottom of a 1-quart mason jar. Add some jalapeno slices, then the other garlic clove.

Make the Brine: In a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar melts; the brine should change from cloudy to clear with no salt or sugar grains in the saucepan’s bottom. When the brine solution comes to a boil, remove the pot from heat and allow it to cool slightly for about 5 minutes.

Pickle: Pour the hot brine solution into the jar with the pepper slices and garlic. Allow the peppers to soak in the brine solution and cool slightly for 10 to 15 minutes. As the peppers sit in the warm brine, their bright green color will fade.

Cool and Refrigerate: Secure the lid and gently shake to distribute the brine. Allow the jar to come to room temperature. When the jalapenos are cool, they’re ready to eat, but they will only get better with time.

How To Store Pickled Jalapenos

You can safely store the pickled jalapenos in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Are Pickled Jalapenos Spicy?

Pickling the jalapenos tends to make jalapenos a little milder, but that isn’t always the case. Some jalapenos are spicier than others. It depends on how many seeds and the size of the veins.

Don’t like spicy food?

Don’t worry! If you fear spicy foods, you can reduce the heat by cutting the peppers in half lengthwise and removing the seeds. The veins and seeds are where all the capsaicin lives.

However, you’ll be surprised to know that you can build up your tolerance to spice. My eyes used to tear up from the heat of the jalapeños, but gradually, David and I have built up our tolerance for these little slices of hotness. Pickled jalapeños are now probably our favorite ways to enjoy jalapeños. I crave them! In fact, I’m not sure how long our jars of pickled jalapeños will last. There are times when David and I get on a jalapeno kick, and I kid you not, we can eat a whole jar of pickled jalapeños in about two weeks’ time!

How To Enjoy Pickled Jalapenos

Pickled jalapeños are a delicious addition to Mexican recipes such as tacos, nachos, burgers, pizza, sandwiches, soups, salads, and so much more!

Enjoy Pickled Jalapenos Using These Recipes:

This recipe is a must if you like jalapeños as much as we do. You’ll be enjoying pickled jalapeños in no time. What would you put them on? Comment below!

Print Pin Rate this Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Easy Pickled Jalapeno Recipe

Don't let your jalapeno harvest go to waste! Learn how to pickle them and enjoy the spicy goodness with this easy pickled jalapeno recipe.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 12kcal

Author David & Debbie Spivey

Useful Equipment:

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound jalapenos sliced in ¼-inch slices (about 10-20 jalapenos)
▢ 2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
▢ 2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
▢ 2 cups water (non-chloranated)
▢ 2 tablespoons sugar
▢ 2 tablespoon sea salt kosher or pickling salt (not iondized)

Instructions

Wash the jalapenos peppers and cut them into rings. (see notes)
Pack the garlic cloves and jalapeno slices inside the 1-quart mason jar; set aside.
In a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan, heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar melts; the brine should change from cloudy to clear with no grains of salt or sugar in the bottom of the saucepan. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly; about 5 minutes.
Pour the brine solution into the jar with the pepper slices and garlic. Allow the peppers to sit in the brine solution and cool slightly; about 10 to 15 minutes. As the peppers sit in the warm brine their bright green color will start to fade.
Secure the lid; gently shake to distribute the brine. Allow the jar to come to room temperature.
When the jalapenos are cool, they’re ready to eat, but will get better with time!

Notes

WARNING: Capsaicin will burn your hands and it is no fun! Always wear rubber gloves when working with chilies and wash hands immediately after handling them.

The Vinegar: Distilled white vinegar is clear and colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. This is what preserves the jalapenos. The aroma is softer than regular vinegar. While it still has a tart acid flavor, it isn’t as strong and it does not affect the color of fruits and vegetables.

Tap Water: Use tap water, but do not use chlorinated water. Chlorinated water will kill the natural bacteria needed for fermentation. Use bottled water or a filter.

Salt: Kosher, sea, or pickling salts are the most common salts used for pickling vegetables. Do not use Iodized salt. Some additives in the iodized salt could affect the brine.

The Sugar: The light sweetness of the sugar offsets the punch of the jalapeno’s heat and the garlic’s pungent taste. It is best to use white sugar because it doesn’t mask the rest of the pickling flavors. Honey, agave, or flavored simple syrup can also be added to the brine. However, anything darker will affect the color and change the taste of the final product.

TOO SPICY? For less spicy pickled jalapenos, cut the peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds and veins.

Nutrition

Did you try this recipe? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Give it a star rating and leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out for you. If you’d like, share a photo of your dish on Instagram, don’t forget to mention @TheMountainKitchen or use #TheMountainKitchen!

Facebook Pinterest X Email

Comments