Cowboy Candy- Sweet and Spicy Jalapeños
Have you had sweet pepper jams? I have a few favorites and although candied jalapenos are similar they are on another level. Let me tell you this is some good stuff. It’s a cross between sweet and spicy. Just when you think that’s gonna be way too spicy, it’s actually a not tgat bad. The sugar helps tone down the heat and gives it the perfect balance.
You can top them on so many things. I used them to garnish tropical shrimp tacos. It turned out perfect since the dish was sweet and savory. You can also add them to hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, cheese and so much more.
My favorite way to serve them is topping them over jalapeno cream cheese and serving it with toasted rustic bread (I love to make jalapeño sourdough bread to go with it). I bought a rustic olive loaf from trader Joe’s and served it with a nice bowl of chicken soup. It was so delicious!
This is the type of condiment that gets better over time. I mean if you can handle waiting, I’d say leave it overnight in the fridge before serving. The flavors will marinate and will be ready to enjoy.
I stored them in a flip-top mason jar in my fridge. It had a wide mouth and was perfect to keep sealed and easy to scoop out when serving.
Let’s Make Them
You want to be careful not to get your hands full of the spiciness. You definitely want to avoid any eye rubbing. I suggest wearing gloves if you have them. If not, just touch the outside and scrape with a knife into a dish. Try not to touch them with your hands after they are sliced 😵.
You want to slice them a little thick. Like in the picture below 👇🏼.
Hope you get to enjoy this recipe as much as we do 😁!
Cowboy Candied Jalapeño
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb fresh jalapeños (10-13 jalapenos)
- 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1 lime (lemon will work too)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Slice peppers and add to a bowl and set aside.
- To a large pot, add all ingredients except the peppers and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Next add the pepper slices. Cook for an additional 5 minutes no longer or you will overcook them.
- Scoop the peppers using a slotted spoon to a glass jar. Save the syrup in the pot.
- Increase the heat to bring to a high boil. Boil for an additional 5-8 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Pour the syrup into the jar with the jalapeno slices. Fill the jar to the top and store it in the refrigerator.