preserve · Preserve

How to Pickle Jalapeños at Home

Quick-pickled jalapeños take 15 minutes of active work and an hour of waiting. Slice your peppers, bring vinegar and water to a boil with salt and sugar, pour over the jalapeños in a jar, and let them cool. They'll keep in the fridge for months and taste better than anything you can buy.

Total time: 1 hr 5 min
Hands-on: 15 min
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 pound jalapeños
2-3 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Step by step

Prepare your jalapeños. Wash and slice 1 pound of jalapeños into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. Remove stems but keep the seeds for heat. Wear gloves or wash your hands immediately after.
Pack the jars. Put sliced jalapeños into clean mason jars. Add 2-3 garlic cloves and a bay leaf to each jar. Leave about an inch of headspace at the top.
Make the brine. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve completely.
Pour the hot brine. Immediately pour the boiling brine over the jalapeños, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the rim. The peppers should be completely submerged.
Cool and store. Let jars cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Screw on lids and refrigerate. They're ready to eat in 1 hour but taste better after 24 hours.

Tips & troubleshooting

Use the freshest jalapeños you can find - they should be firm and bright green
Don't skip the gloves when handling peppers, and never touch your eyes
Mason jars work best, but any glass container with a tight lid will do
Save the pickle juice after you finish the peppers - it makes an excellent addition to cocktails or salad dressing
For longer storage, use a 2:1 vinegar to water ratio instead of 1:1

Variations

Sweet Heat. Add 2 tablespoons honey to the brine for jalapeños that balance sweet and spicy perfectly.
Mexican Style. Include sliced onions and carrots with oregano and black peppercorns for escabeche-style pickles.
Extra Fire. Mix in sliced serranos or habaneros, or keep more jalapeño seeds for maximum heat.
Bread and Butter. Use apple cider vinegar and add turmeric and celery seed for a milder, tangy flavor.

Questions

How long do pickled jalapeños last?: In the refrigerator, they'll stay good for 2-3 months. The flavor actually improves after the first week.
Can I make these less spicy?: Remove all seeds and white membranes before pickling. You can also blanch the sliced peppers in boiling water for 30 seconds before jarring.
Do I need to sterilize the jars?: For refrigerator pickles, clean jars are fine. Only sterilize if you plan to can them for shelf storage, which requires proper canning procedures.
Can I reuse the pickle brine?: You can reuse it once for a second batch of peppers, but bring it to a boil again and add a bit more vinegar since it gets diluted.
Why are my pickles mushy?: Your jalapeños were probably too ripe or you let them sit in the hot brine too long before refrigerating. Use firm, young peppers and cool them quickly.