How to Make Pickled Jalapeños
Pickled jalapeños are easy to make! This recipe is perfect for beginners. It makes two small jars of spicy pickled jalapeños rings.
Today we’re talking about canning jalapeños! If you have an abundance of jalapeños coming out of the garden, this recipe is for you. Don’t despair if you don’t grow jalapeños. Find a local grower, buy a pound or so and you’re set to go.
This recipe makes shelf stable pickled jalapeños. So you’ll need some familiarity with water bath canning. If you’ve never canned before, check out this tutorial on water bath canning.
The Basic Steps for Canning Pickled Jalapeños
Making homemade pickled jalapeños is easy but it does take some time. Here are the 10 basic steps.
- Clean the kitchen. This is an important step when canning.
- Slice the peppers into rings. Wear gloves while you do this. It prevents burns.
- Heat the canning jars for 10 minutes.
- Make the brine.
- Pack the peppers tightly into hot jars.
- Add pickle crisp. (optional but highly recommended.)
- Ladle brine into the jars.
- Remove air bubbles.
- Wipe rims and apply lids and bands.
- Process jars in a water bath canner.
What Do Pickled Jalapeños Taste Like?
It depends on the style of “pickling” used. This recipe uses a vinegar brine. They taste hot and spicy with a nice vinegar kick. Naturally fermented jalapeños, which aren’t common, have a distinctly different flavor. They’re pungent and taste strongly of pepper. If you’ve ever purchased pickled jalapeños at the store, chances are you’ve enjoyed a vinegar-brined pepper.
Selecting the Peppers
Use firm, unbruised peppers. Discard any peppers that show signs of mold. Clean all peppers thoroughly to remove dirt before canning.
Can You Use Jalapeños with Lines (Striations) On Them?
Yes! Homegrown peppers often have lines on them. These striations are normal and usually indicate a hotter pepper. As long as the pepper is firm with no mold, it’s safe to use.
Can You Use Red Jalapeños?
Yes! Fully ripe jalapeños turn red. They are hotter than green jalapeños peppers and work great for pickling. Each year a few dozen jalapeños get away from me in the garden and turn red. When pickling, I make a jar or two of just red jalapeños because….I like the way the look. Again, be sure to only use peppers with no signs of spoilage.
How to Make Brine for Pickled Jalapeños
The brine for this recipe is simple to make. For one pound of jalapeños, combine three and a half cups of white vinegar and one cup of water. If you want, add one tablespoon picking salt and bring the mixture to a boil. (The pickling salt keeps the canned jalapeños from turning cloudy. If you don’t want to buy a box of canning salt, you can use Kosher salt. Just expect a cloudy appearance in your jars.) Adding salt is optional but it adds a nice flavor.
As with all canning recipes, don’t adjust the brine. Peppers are low in acid. The ratio of vinegar to water keeps you safe. Use a vinegar that contains 5% acidity.
How to Pack the Jars
After heating your clean pint jars, it’s time to pack them. Notice I said “pack”. You really want to get as many pepper rings into the jar as you can. Of course, take care not to overly force the slices into the jar–there’s no need to crush or bruise them.
After adding as many slices as you can, use a clean chopstick to poke the slices down. You can often get an extra handful or so of slices into the jar after poking them down with a chopstick.
How to Make Pickled Jalapeños Crisp and Crunchy
One of only problems with homemade pickled jalapeños is they can turn out mushy. No one wants a mushy pepper! To keep the pickled jalapeños crisp and crunchy, use Pickle Crisp by Ball or Mrs. Wage’s Xtra Crunch. Both products are calcium chloride, which is a type of salt that keeps canned produce firm, among other things. To use, add 1/4 teaspoon per pint to keep the peppers crisp.
I didn’t use pickle crisp one year. (To be honest, I was being lazy. I didn’t want to run out and buy a jar.) That year, we ate peppers that tasted amazing but were mushy. The next season, I bought the pickle crisp. It made a huge difference! If you want crisp jalapeños peppers, get yourself a jar.
How to Make Pickled Jalapeños Less Hot and Spicy
Some folks ask how they can make their pickles jalapeños less hot and spicy. I hate to be the bearer of bad news here but…the level of heat and spice depends on the peppers themselves. You can try slicing the peppers in half and removing the seeds. This tends to reduce the heat level. However, expect your peppers to still be hot. This step takes a bit of time and, since you’ll need to slice the peppers in half to de-seed, you won’t get round rings.
How to Use Pickled Jalapeños
My answer to this is on everything! Seriously, I love these things so much. A better answer is that you can use pickled jalapeños on tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, pizza, or any place you want a little heat.
Pickled Jalapeños
Homemade Pickled Jalapeños are easy to make! This simple recipe, which uses the waterbath canning method, makes tasty and crisp homemade pickled jalapeños slices.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds jalapeños peppers
- 3 1/2 cups white vinegar (MUST be 5% acidity)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt, optional
- Ball® Pickle Crisp or Mrs. Wages Xtra Crunch, optional
Instructions
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Slice Peppers: Wash peppers and cut off steams. Slice peppers into 1/4-inch thick rings. Wear gloves for this step to avoid burning your hands. And do NOT touch your eyes or any other sensitive body parts.
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Heat Jars: Place a rack into the bottom of a large pot. Fill pot with enough water to cover jars. Submerge jars in water. Bring water to a simmer, 180 degrees. Simmer jars for 10 minutes. (Since the peppers process for 10 minutes, you don’t need to boil the jars.)
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Prepare the Brine: While the jars heat, combine vinegar, water, and salt medium saucepan. Boil for five minutes.
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Pack Jars. Remove jars from the water. Pack the peppers into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1/4 teaspoon Pickle Crisp to each jar, if desired.
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Add Brine. Ladle brine into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Using a wooden chopstick, bubble tool, or soft rubber spatula, remove air bubbles. Measure headspace. Add more brine if needed.
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Clean Rim and Apply Lids. Wipe rim with clean, damp cloth. Place lid on jar. Screw on band to "fingertip tight." You should feel some resistance but you don't want to crank the band on too tight.
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Process Jars. Lower jars into pot. Water should cover jars by 1 to 2-inches after all jars are in the pot. Cover the pot. Return water to a boil. Process for 10 minutes. (Start the timer once the water returns to a boil.) Be sure to maintain a rolling boil during the entire 10 minute processing time.
When processing time completes, turn off the burner and remove lid. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars from the pot. Lift the jars out of the water straight. Avoid tipping the jars. Place hot jars on a towel-lined counter or wood cutting board. Allow jars to cool for 24 hours. -
Check Seals. Press the center of the lid. It should not move. Remove outer ring. Gently try to lift the lid off the jar. It should not move. Wipe jars. Label. If any jar didn’t seal, place into the refrigerator and enjoy within a week or so.
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Store: Place jars in a cool place out of direct sunlight. For best flavor, wait six weeks before enjoying the peppers.
Roger McCaleb says
Peppers turned out great! It’s the same way my Mother did hers! Thanks
.. RM from Elberta,AL ? Roll Tide
Rob Roloff says
Your recipe sounds great I’m going to try it I have done peppers in the past and instead of slicing them in half I use a apple peeler I cut the end off of the pepper and take the apple peel and put it down inside and rotated around and pull out this the internal parts with the seeds works pretty good and goes pretty quick and you still get nice sliced rings
Rudy says
Can this recipe be tripled or quadrupled?
Elizabeth says
Yes! Just take care to triple all the ingredients so that the brine remains safe.
Scarlett says
I don’t have 5% vinegar. Can I use less of 9% vinegar?
Elizabeth says
I don’t recommend making any adjustments to the brine as that might affect the safety of the finished peppers. Sorry.
Hilary says
Yes you can! Sugar is pretty a pretty common pickling addition, does not sacrifice safety, and helps to cut the heat for hot peppers! Ball has a recipe that is pretty close to this one, but it does include sugar (and garlic- and also has a more proportionate vinegar/water ration although I much prefer this recipe for a variety of reason :)). Anyway, If you adjust their recipe for one of this size it’s about 1 teaspoon sugar added! https://www.freshpreserving.com/home-style-pickled-jalapeños—ball-recipes-br3547.html
James M Barnett says
Can u add sugar,, got from old timer,,1/4cup sugar to brine,,,
Elizabeth says
I don’t recommend making any adjustments to the brine as that might affect the safety of the finished peppers. Sorry.
Hilary says
Yes you can! Sugar is pretty a pretty common pickling addition, does not sacrifice safety, and helps to cut the heat for hot peppers! Ball has a recipe that is pretty close to this one, but it does include sugar (and garlic- and also has a more proportionate vinegar/water ration although I much prefer this recipe for a variety of reason :)). Anyway, If you adjust their recipe for one of this size it’s about 1 teaspoon sugar added! https://www.freshpreserving.com/home-style-pickled-jalapeños—ball-recipes-br3547.html
Matt H says
Sugar will not alter the PH of the brine, so it is safe to add. However, I have made this recipe twice and sugar is not needed. It’s amazing what the flavor of the final product is considering how simple the brine is. I highly recommend using the pickle crisp (calcium chloride).
Denise says
How long do they keep shelf life? Canning Jalapeños?
Elizabeth says
If you waterbath preserve the peppers according to the directions, they may be stored in the jar for up to one year.
Timothy says
how long can you store the jalapeno peppers
Elizabeth says
If you waterbath preserve the peppers according to the directions, they may be stored in the jar for up to one year.
Jacquelyn jo Bockius says
We have so many jalapenos this summer and canning them is the way to go. I don’t want to see food wasted. I grow organically to enjoy the veggies knowing they are not adulterated by toxic chemicals. But when you have too many of them they should be stored for when veggies won’t grow. We love this simple recipe and taking the seeds out of them first tames the heat and allows us to eat them to our heart’s delight. These pickled jalapenos are great to snack on too. It’s difficult to stop eating them they are so good.
Jacob Siegel says
Do you have to cook the Jalapenos in the brine first or do they get put in the jar raw?
Elizabeth says
They don’t require cooking. They go into the jar raw. Since the jars are processed for 10 minutes, they soften during processing. (Using pickle crisp helps keep them a bit firmer.)
C says
I think your suggestion that you don’t have to separately sterilize the jars is misguided and potentially unsafe. You should always start with sterilized jars. Follow Ball or similar canning best practices to avoid spoiled food and food poisoning.
It would be helpful to include the number of jars and size jars this recipe makes. Maybe it is there and I missed it.
Elizabeth says
Hello! Safe canning is a top priority for me. I always follow the National Center for Food Preservations guidelines. Here’s what they have to say about sterilzing jars:
“In order to actually sterilize jars, they need to be submerged in (covered by) boiling water for 10 minutes. When the process time for canning a food is 10 minutes or more (at 0-1,000 feet elevation), the jars will be sterilized DURING processing in the canner. Therefore, when process times are 10 minutes or more at this altitude, pre-sterilization of jars is not needed. It doesn’t hurt your product to do it anyway, but it does require additional time and energy and is unnecessary.”
You can read more here.
And here’s what Ball Jars has to say on the subject: Sterilizing Ball® jars and lids is not necessary for home canning. Processing in your canner for 10 minutes or longer will sterilize the jars and lids. However, we do recommend that you pre-heat your jars to avoid thermal shock breakage that may occur as a result of drastic temperature changes while filling the jars with hot food.
You can read more on Ball’s site. (It’s listed under FAQs at the bottom of the page.)
As for the yield, it’s listed with the recipe. This recipe makes two pints.
I hope that helps.
Lynn M Edwards says
I always put my jars in the dishwasher right before canning. They are hot and will be fully sterilized in the canning process. the altitude where I am is 6400 ft, so I have to adjust the caning time anyway.
Frances Harris says
I look forward to trying this recipe. I like the way you answer all the questions.
I’m going to the store and buy that ingredient to make it firm or crunchy.
Thank you
Frances
Michael Thornton says
Hello pickled 17 pints of jalapenos using your recipe they turned out wonderful,. I am glad I stayed with the 3 cups vinegar to 1 cup water the taste is awesome. Just a note if someone has a hard time finding Mrs wages extra crispy as I did, in the bag it is called Mrs wages pickle lime for extra crispy. Thanks again for the great recipe. Now I need one for dill pickles
Elizabeth says
Hello! Pickling lime and pickle crisp are two different ingredients. Please be sure to check the package to ensure it was used correctly.
Marshall says
Pickling lime is calcium hydroxide (hydrated lime food grade), which is highly alkaline and likely to increase the pH of your brine. Pickle Crisp is calcium chloride. They should not be substituted.
barbara hunter says
can I use this recipe for whole jalapenos. How would I do this
Elizabeth says
I haven’t canned them whole. I believe you simply leave them whole. For a complete how-to, I’d use “Food in Jars” recipe. I hope this helps! https://foodinjars.com/recipe/unfancy-pickled-jalapeno-peppers/
Cindy johnsin says
Will do thanks
Holly Campbell says
Easy recipe. I love pickled peppers!
Tori says
Hi – can I use this recipe for different types of hot peppers?
Elizabeth says
I don’t recommend altering the recipe. It was developed for jalapeño peppers. So I can’t say if it would safely work for other peppers.
Matt H says
Yes, it is recommended that you use 4.6 PH or lower brine when pickling peppers. This recipe comes in at 3.6 PH so it will work for other peppers as well.
Cyndi says
I used this recipe to pickle our (abundance of) homegrown jalapeños this afternoon. I don’t have much solo canning experience (this is only my 3rd go) but the recipe was easy enough & all of my jars sealed, so that’s a good start! ????. I did dice the jalapeños vs just cutting them into strips, since my husband likes them that way!
The instructions indicated that they should meld for 6 weeks before enjoying, so I’ve marked my calendar for late October. We can hardly wait to sample them!!!
Elizabeth says
Hope you’ve had a chance to sample them!
Jamie Hirshey says
This was my first canning experience ever and your directions were very clear. The only thing I will do differently is preheat the jars in the oven. My gas stove takes forever to heat the water up. I made 7 pints, but I should have stuffed more peppers down in each one lol. The hardest part will be waiting at least 6 weeks to try them.
John Moore says
You can leave them whole, but poke a hole in the side of each pepper before adding to the jar. ( Allows brine to penetrate and pickle the whole pepper, inside and out)
Michael says
How can you put 4 cups of liquid plus the peppers in only 2 pint jars?
Elizabeth says
Michael–
There’s often some leftover brine but it really isn’t much. The amount of brine used varies depending on how thick you slice the peppers. It’s better to have a small amount left than be short when canning. Hope this helps!
Mary says
Evaporation happens when boiling the brine, so it results in less than 4 cups of liquid when ready to can it.
Mary H says
Can I add sliced carrots and onion to the recipe? If yes, do I sauté them first?
Elizabeth says
I don’t recommend changing the recipe as it can alter the ph, making the finished product unsafe.
Marie says
Confused on your directions regarding the brine. You state we should use 1:1 vinegar and water to avoid botulism. Yet you then go on to use 3:1. Did I miss something or is this recipe creating botulism?
Elizabeth says
Marie,
This recipe is 3 1/2:1 vinegar to water. So it contains more vinegar than required, keeping you safe from botulism.
Mary says
Can you just put the jar in the fridge and skip the water bath?
Elizabeth says
Yes! It will last in the fridge for a few weeks.
Joann says
Is pickling canning salt the same thing as pickle crisp?
Elizabeth says
No, they are two different ingredients. Picking/canning salt is salt that does not contain any iodine and/or anti-caking agents. It keeps brine clear. Pickle crisp is calcium chloride.
BC says
I tried this today and I have a question. If my jalapeños are now floating and the brine is left at the bottom, did I do something incorrectly?
Elizabeth says
Nope! That’s right! They tend to float if the jar wasn’t packed too tight, which is fine. Overy the next week or so, they might absorb enough canning liquid and fill out the jar. This has happened to me many times.
Jojo says
I’ve used this recipe many times & it always turns out great! The most difficult thing for me is step one: clean your kitchen! LOL!
Elizabeth says
Hahahaha. Same!
Arianne says
Hi! Our plants have produced several jalapenos this year, so I’m excited to pickle them, but we don’t have 1.5 lbs. Can I divide the recipe as long as I keep the vinegar and water proportionate?
Elizabeth says
Yes!
Too embarrassed says
Recipe was easy enough. However, I was cautious in tightening the bands before the finishing process. Should have been less cautious as I tightened to slight resistance and stopped. Both jars leaked and I ruined my batch. I’m going to crank them down a bit more on the next go around.
Elizabeth says
Yes. Getting the right tightness of the bands was something I struggled with when I first started canning. I totally understand!
Arianne says
Hi! I’m so excited to make these, and I definitely understand the purpose of not messing with the recipe. Can I halve it, though? Our plants have been prolific, but I don’t quite have 1.5 lbs of jalapenos yet.
Elizabeth says
Yes! You can absolutely cut it in half! To be honest, I often make a full batch of brine and then use the leftover for quick pickled onions. (Slice a red onion and pour the brine over. Place in the fridge overnight. Done!)
Janice M Henry says
iT SOUNDS LIKE EVEN AFTER CANNING THE PICKLED JALAPENOS YOU MUST KEEP THEM IN THE REFRIGERATOR. IS THIS TRUE?
Elizabeth says
No. It may be stored on the shelf/ in a cabinet.
Cathy Miller says
We want to pickle quart jars of jalapeños. We are using Ball brand Kosher Dill Pickle Mix that includes pickle crisp granules. Our question is how much of the above product is to be used in each quart?
Elizabeth says
Hi Cathy,
That’s a totally different product. So I can’t recommend a replacement. Sorry!
Janessa says
Can I add a clove of garlic to each jar?
Michael says
What is the taste difference between day 1 to 6 weeks post canning? Are they less vinegary after the 6 weeks? My first time making them and curious on what the difference will be.
Elizabeth says
Like cucumber pickles, they do have a vinegar bite but the heat intensifies and the vinegar does mellow after a few weeks. I hope this helps!
Tammy says
Hi I just tried this recipe for the first time. When I removed them from the boiling process they look pretty cloudy in the jar. Is this normall?
Elizabeth says
Hello! I’m not sure what you mean by “removed them from the boiling process.” Let me know and we can troubleshoot!
If you didn’t use canning salt, the brine can look cloudy. That’s normal.
vicki says
One thing I have read in my Kerr canning book is to always discard the tiny blossom end of peppers because it contains an enzyme that will soften the peppers when canning. Also, Pickle Crisp works!
Bonnie Pfeiffer says
I made your jalapeño recipe and went great, jars sealed but now the brine seems cloudy are they safe. I did not use distilled water?
Elizabeth says
Excellent question! Since you just canned them, my guess is that either you have hard water (the minerals in the water can cause the brine to be cloudy) or used regular salt. Regular salt is safe! But it contains fillers to prevent clumping that can give your brine a cloudy appearance.
It could also just be some bits and bobs of the jalapeno slices floating around. Give it a day or so and it might settle.
You should worry about a cloudy brine if it turns cloudy after weeks of storage or if the brine is bubbling. If that’s happening, discard.
David says
I have smaller jars that are for jellies and jams i think. Can i use this recipe and technique for them as well or does something need to be adjusted? I am the only one that eats them and if I use pint size jars I will end up throwing away a bunch after a jar has been opened.
Elizabeth says
Hi David,
Smaller jars are totally fine! I do this when I have some bits and bobs of peppers hanging around. The processing time must remain the same for safely. Enjoy!
Belinda Hinkle says
I would like to can the jalapenos in smaller jars but don’t know how much pickle crisp to use. Any ideas if I put the jalapenos in a jelly jars?
Elizabeth says
There are several jelly jar sizes available. So I can’t say. The standard amount is 1/8 teaspoon for a pint. I’d scale down from there. (I’ve actually done this. I measure out 1/8 teaspoon and divide in half, as needed.)
I hope that helps!
Kari Swan-McKittrick says
I haven’t tried the recipe yet because I have a question. I only have 1 pound of jalapenos. Can I adjust the recipe to make all of the ingredient correctly proportional, in this case do 2/3 for all? Is that safe?
Thanks.
Elizabeth says
Yes! Or you could do what I do: make a full batch of brine. Use what you need and then use the leftover for refrigerator pickles or pickled red onions.
Mandy says
My rating is for the written recipe as well as the result. Thank you for a good blog without hem the excessive wordiness that so often precedes a recipe! Good detailed instruction and a great canned product!
Patrick says
We just used your recipe for our garden-grown jalapenos. I wanted them to be crispy so I added straight, food-grade calcium chloride that I use for homebrewing beer water treatment. I might have used a bit much. About 1 tbsp for 5 half-pint jars in your recommended amount of brine. What do you think?
Elizabeth says
Oooh. Good question. It’s not an ingredient I’m familiar with, so I really don’t have an answer. Sorry!
Elaine Kastrinos says
I use fresh grape leaves in my fill pickles and they stay crunchy forever. Can I use them in the peppers instead of pickle crisp. The leaves do not flavor the pickles
Elizabeth says
From what I’ve read, grape leaves don’t provide the same crisping effect as pickle crisp.
Rocco Cappiello says
I’m having a problem finding pickle crisp. any suggestions?
Elizabeth says
Canning supplies and ingredients are so hard to find this year! You aren’t alone! There isn’t a good replacement for pickle crisp. I’ve made mine without it and they’re softer but not inedible. If I couldn’t find it, I’d just make the recipe without.
Dagrainger says
For those of you that lime the taste of dill (I do), just add some garlic and dill to to your jar with the peppers, and you have dilled pickled jalapeños… super delicious on a cheeseburger,or really anything… LOL.
Jubal Harshaw says
Excellent write-up! This is my first time canning jalapenos but I’m cautiously optimistic. I’m batting 1000 on all of my other canning attempts. Sadly, I only had Amber pint jars left so I can’t see the finished product nor look for any telltale problems. I read that sea salt would be a suitable substitute but again I can’t look for cloudiness. Thanks again!
Denise Naegle says
My jalepenos were really small so I canned them whole. They turned out great.
Erica says
Do I replace the salt with pickle crisp or add it in addition to?
Elizabeth says
The pickle crisp is used along with salt.
Lauren says
I haven’t tried this yet, but of all the recipes I’ve read this one is the most clear! I have seen some other recipes that add garlic cloves. Would adding garlic cloves to this recipe be okay? Thanks!
Elizabeth says
Hi Lauren,
Glad you found the recipe helpful! I don’t advise adding a garlic clove because garlic is low ph and can change the recipe.
Romano Castillo says
What if I used sea salt or pink salt? And what if I didn’t use a Pickle Crisp? Does it affect the shelf life? Thank you!
Elizabeth says
If you use sea salt or pink salt, the brine might look cloudy.
If you don’t use pickle crisp, the peppers tend to be very soft. It’s fully explained above.
Enjoy!