Bread and Butter Pickled Jalapenos
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
2 lbs jalapeño chile peppers
1 pound white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup kosher or sea salt (don’t use table salt!)
1 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 star anise
1 cardamom pod
3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 clean 1-quart canning jars, or 4 pint jars
Instructions:
Cut the stem end off of the jalapeños and cut into thin slices. Add the onions and stir in the salt until everything is well-coated. Cover with a clean, thin towel. Put ice over the towel and place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours. After 4 hours, rinse the salt off of the peppers and onions. Drain, and rinse and drain again.
In a large sauce pan, put the vinegar, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the peppers and onions. Bring to a boil again. As soon as the jalapenos are all cooked through (the color dulls a bit), start packing your canning jars with the peppers and onions, using a slotted spoon. Pack the jars evenly, up to about an inch from the top. Then pour the sugary vinegar mixture over the peppers, until it covers them.
Cover the jars and let cool to room temperature before sealing tight and keeping in the refrigerator. As you use the peppers, make sure that the vinegar always covers the peppers.
From lifeandkitchen.com