Candied Jalapeños Recipe
Some home-canned items are practical and versatile but you can buy them just about anywhere. This one is different. Candied jalapeños, aka cowboy candy, are truly special. Sweet, hot, and perfect on everything from chili to nachos, everyone will want a jar of these.
There are some canning recipes I plan my garden around, and this is one of them.
Candied Jalapenos
Equipment
- Water bath canning equipment
- Mason jars (pint or half-pint with two-piece lids)
- Clean dish towel
- Gloves
- Sharp knife
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of jalapeno peppers (sliced into 1/4 inch rings – equals 8 cups of sliced jalapeños)
- 1½ cups white vinegar
- 3 cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ginger
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Instructions
- Prepare canner and supplies. If you are going to be water bath canning these, go ahead and prepare your canner and jars. Wash the jars and put them in the oven or hot water to keep them warm. Get the water boiling in your canner and boil a small pan of water for the lids and rings. Make sure you have all the tools you need ready to go before you start making the cowboy candy.
- Prepare your jalapenos. Get your peppers and if you have a scale, weigh 3 pounds (about 8 cups of sliced jalapeños). Don't forget to wear gloves and start slicing the peppers by hand.
- Make the syrup. Combine the vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger in a large stockpot or high-sided sauté pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until the liquid turns into a sticky syrup for approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
- Cook the jalapenos in the hot syrup. Increase the heat to medium-high until the mixture boils again, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the sliced jalapeños and simmer for 5 minutes. The jalapeños will change color and become less bright green.
- Fill the jars. Use a funnel to ladle the hot jalapeño mixture into clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace. Use a tool to press down the peppers and let any air bubbles escape. Wipe the edges clean so the lids can seal properly.
- Seal the jars. Take the lids and rings from the hot water and screw them on “fingertip tight.” This means tightening until you feel a little resistance but not too much—you should be able to turn it on or off with just your fingertips.
- Prepare canning. Make sure the jars are clean and heated in the oven at 200°F or in a pot of hot water. Then, heat the rings and lids in a small pan of hot water. Fill your canner with water and bring it to a boil.
- Process the jars. Lower the jars into the boiling water, cover the pot with the lid, and process for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. Gently take out the jars and place them on a towel to cool. Don’t move them while they are cooling, as they need to seal. You will hear a popping sound and the lid will be flat.
- Cool and store. Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a clean dish towel to cool at room temperature. Once the lids have been sealed (you should hear a popping sound), let them sit for 24 hours undisturbed. Store the jars in a dark, cool place for up to 1 year.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
First of all, if you don’t have red jalapeños, you can absolutely make these with just green ones. Letting them ripen to red slows down the production of the plant and doesn’t change the flavor all that much. I only do it because in October I’m sick of hot peppers and I ignore the plants and everything turns red. And then I make a second batch for Christmas gifts, so it all works out.
If you don’t grow your own veggies, red will probably be hard to find.
But anyway. My favorite way to eat these is on top of chili. But most people heat up cream cheese, pour them on top, and serve with crackers. Either way.
Tips for Success
Wear gloves! Even if you think your hands can handle hot peppers, processing this many jalapeños can lead to seriously uncomfortable burns. Trust me.
Keep your kitchen well-ventilated. The cooking process can release capsaicin into the air, causing you to cough like crazy. Keep your windows open and a fan running.
Cook the syrup until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still liquid enough to pour easily.
Let the jars rest undisturbed for a full 24 hours after processing so they’ll seal up.
Ingredients and Equipment
Jalapeños: You want fresh and firm peppers; skip any that are soft or wrinkled
White vinegar: Standard 5% acidity vinegar
Spices: The combination of cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger creates is just right. Don’t go substituting things on me.
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If you’re new to canning, you can find starter kits at most hardware stores or online retailers. A mandoline slicer, while not essential, makes quick work of all that pepper slicing. (I don’t have one and manage just fine.)
By Katie Shaw
Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.
Can’t wait to try. My question is can you use frozen jalepeno peppers? I had gobs of peppers that I didn’t want to pickle and this looks looks a great way to use them up and get them out of my freezer. Thanks!
hi Mary, it will work in terms of flavor but the peppers might be mushy.
Well, dang! I just canned 15 pints of pickled peppers. Now I’ll need to come up with more peppers to try this. I guess I missed this recipe when you’d shared it before because I’ve never heard of candied jalepenos. I’ve GOT to try this.
And don’t forget to change the amount of canning time if you live at a high altitude
I gave these to a few people as Christmas gifts and everyone loved them. They pair beautifully with Brie cheese, and they are great in a Caesar cocktail.
I made this recipe today using Fresno chilis, jalapeños, sweet heats and a bell pepper from my garden. The mixture was a bit spicy but absolutely divine. Can’t wait to share a few jars tomorrow ❤️
that mix of peppers sounds delicious. so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I want to make today, but use pint jars. Would I process them they same? How much headspace? I have a Nesco Smart canner that I will be using it has a w/b mode so hope it works for me. Fingers crossed.
hey Carie, 1/4 inch headspace! i’ve never used a nesco but I’m super curious about it so let me know how you like it!
Is the spice ground?
yes! 🙂
I made this and canned it yesterday and it didn’t thicken. I did exactly like the recipe said but its watery and all the spices are all on the bottom of the jars. Flavor was excellent. Please advise. Thanks
hi tori- sometimes this can happen if the peppers release a lot of water. I’ve had it happen with some batches and not others. next time, just boil longer at a higher temp and in a shallow wide pan. it WILL thicken eventually. you can mix it with instant clear jell before serving (meaning the ones you’ve already canned).
I planted five jalapeño plants in my garden this year mainly because two of my three children and their family enjoy eating them. I’ve had an abundance of peppers and have been looking for a recipe to use them for. I’m looking forward to making this recipe and canning some cowboy candy to share with others. Thank you for sharing your easy recipe!😁
2 questions, how many pint jars will I need for this recipe, and would it be safe to add the raw chopped peppers directly into the jars and pour the hot syrup on top? I would then place the jars into a water bath for 10 mins. We don’t cook our sliced cukes when canning our pickles. Thanks
Do you completely cover the jars when putting in the canning bath?
Yes 🙂
Is this a tested canning recipe? The Ball website is very strict on acid level and that all recipes should be professionally tested. They are absolutely delicious and I did can them but I am now nervous after learning more about canning.
Hi Nicky! I get why you’re saying and to answer your question no I have had it professionally tested. I will say that the levels of vinegar and sugar are both quite high and so I am very comfortable making these and sharing the recipe. You can always keep your jars in the fridge if you are more comfortable with that. 🙂
Loved this recipe! I made a small batch the first time with my home grown jalapeños because I didn’t quite have 3lbs. I’ve been putting it on everything. Made another batch today for holiday gifts for friends. Thank-You!
So I only had about half of the jalapeños for the amount your recipe requested so I halved everything. However, once I Canned them the syrup was more soupy like. Should I let the juice boil longer? And would I even be able to since I already canned them or should I just give it until 24 hours to see.
hi haley, some of th moisture from the peppers will dilute the syrup a bit. it’s perfectly normal!
They turned out awesome. Do you think I could use habanero peppers?
yes they’ll just be very spicy! 🙂
Love this very good simple recipe! Making more jars today. Best recipe I have tried.
Jan
thank you jan that makes me so happy to hear!
I’ve made this with sliced jalapeño in 1 gal jars. Add 4# sugar sliced and quartered onion and banana peppers. Add 1:4 cup of water and slows bring to boil then simmer on low about 2 hrs. Absolutely divine. Be sure to leave our the vinegar bc the jalapeños were already in vinegar.
Can’t wait to try this recipe!!!
I boiled the syrup mixture the required time. However it didn’t appear very think after adding and cooking the jalapeños. Is something wrong with the times given?
The times are right for me, but of course your stove might be a bit different. 🙂 If it thickened up to a syrup, you did it right. There is moisture in the peppers so that may have thinned it out a tad.
Recipe is easy to follow. Made tonight using a mix of jalapeno, banana, and red chili peppers. Tasted a little while still very warm after filling all canning jars. Absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to taste it after the flavors have developed more. This will be wonderful Christmas gifts for my husband’s co-workers with some goat or cream cheese and nice crackers. Thank you for sharing the recipe
hi sherri I’m so glad you liked it! I love the idea of mixing up the peppers a little. enjoy your cowboy candy 🙂
Katie, we have shared a few jars of this amazing recipe with friends. The result, they are begging that we make more and put it in larger jars!!! This is absolutely divine on top of pizza. I imagine it’s perfect as a topping for anything. We are going to the market today to buy a large wuantiof peppers (out garden is slowing for the season) to make more. Thank you for the best recipe I’ve tried all year!!!!
Can’t wait to try this. Sounds delicious.