Description
I have a few friends that are always thrilled to receive gifts of Candied Jalapenos. If you love them, you REALLY love them, so I won’t have any trouble getting rid of my excess. But I wanted to see if I could find a recipe using less sugar and recalled seeing Food in Jars Maple Pickled Jalapenos. How fun to put a decidedly Canadian twist using local ingredients on this very Southern pickle!
Ingredients
2 ½ – 3 lbs. firm jalapenos, sliced into ¼ inch rounds**
One red onion, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced (I used a local Walla Walla sweet onion)
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup sugar
3 cups apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups water
1 tbsp. Salt
2 tsp. Mustard seeds
2 tsp. Black peppercorns
Instructions
Prepare boiling water canner. Wash lids in warm soapy water and sterilize jars with boiling water or wash them in the dishwasher just prior to canning to ensure clean jars.
Combine maple syrup, sugar, vinegar, water, and all spices in a large pot and bring to a simmer for five minutes. Add jalapeno and onion slices, return to simmer and cook for 5 more minutes.
Using tongs, ladle hot jalapenos and onions into hot jars, leaving a ½ inch headspace. Top off with more brine as necessary. Try to distribute the spices as evenly as possible among the jars.
Remove any trapped air bubbles from jars and add more brine, if necessary. Wipe the rim, apply the lid and ring, and place the filled jar in the canner.
Process jars 15 minutes from start of boil. Remove jars and cool for 12-24 hours.
Notes
Always wear disposable rubber gloves when working with hot peppers.
These were so big and firm that two fit perfectly into my food processor chute, and I sliced them in no time at all. Turning the machine off and reloading after each set of two keeps them upright, giving me perfect circles and avoiding a lengthwise cut. A mandoline would also work, or slice by hand.