Sunday, September 19, 2010

Pickle This!


Pickled Jalapenos! 
Now I don't normally go for spicy, but these have a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Due to my allergy I'm limited to one or two of these at a time, but man are they good! This pickling recipe can be applied to many different veggies, so don't let your fear of spicy hold you back! Especially if you love bread and butter style pickles. Just sub-statue the jalapenos for any of your faves, such as cauliflower, carrots, or the basics like cucumber and okra. Ok, on with the show...

Here is today's cast:


Jalapenos (Enough to fill your jar I used about 1lb.)
1 Cup water
1 Cup Vinegar of choice 
(I recommend apple cider for a sweeter B&B pickle or just plain white distilled like I used for this version)
1 Tablespoon Pickling spice
1 Teaspoon mustard seed
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Dried Onions
3-4 Cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoons peppercorns. (I used black but any color will do.)
2-3 Bay leaves 
  1. Pack the jalapenos in your jar.
  2. In a small saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes. (This will bring out all those wonderful flavors in the spices.)
  3. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the jalapenos and let it rest for a few hours. Shake it up a little so that the peppercorns and now re-hydrated onion are evenly distributed.
  4. If you like your pickled peppers on the crunchy side, you can begin to eat them after only a couple hours. As for those who prefer a softer texture, let this sit for 4-5 days before enjoying.
That's it! Seriously, its just that easy. Now get out there and start pickling!