Name: Homemade Pickled Jalapeños
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 800g fresh jalapeño chillies; 1 litre vinegar (cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, pickling vinegar, as long as it’s at 5% acidity ..); 500ml water; 3 cloves fresh garlic, sliced; 1 1/2 tablespoon rock salt; 1 tablespoon sugar

Jump to Recipe

These homemade pickled jalapeños are so delicious! Spicy rounds of jalapeño peppers preserved in a flavourful brine.

a glass jar of muted green jalapeño pepper slices on a wooden board. 2 other jars are in the background

Are you a spice lover? I like to think I am but really the spiciness of jalapeños is all I can handle comfortably. Their spiciness is at the lower end of the scale!

Jalapeños are amazing for adding just that little kick that food often needs, and pickling them makes them pop.

Pickled Jalapeños

Pickling jalapeños in a vinegar brine is a great way to preserve them long term using a simple water bath technique.

Jalapeño peppers themselves aren't acidic enough by themselves to preserve via a water bath, therefore a vinegar pickle brine is necessary.

Safe Vinegar Pickling Amounts

When pickling low-acid foods, a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water at least is recommended, or an even higher vinegar to water ratio. This recipe uses ratio of ⅔ vinegar and ⅓ water.

This acidic environment is what will stop dangerous Clostridium botulinum bacteria from growing. Though it's very rare, these bacteria can cause fatal illnesses so when canning home foods, it's better to be safe than sorry. Creating an inhabitable environment to stop them growing is key.

Clean Canning Jars

The jars used in this recipe must be cleaned well and rinsed thoroughly, then they will be simmered in a large pot of boiling water to sterilise and heat the jars.

This pot of boiling water will also be used to later seal the jars.

Preparing the Jalapeños

The jalapeños are sliced into thin ½ cm (¼ inch) slices. When slicing chilli it's a good idea to wear gloves as the capsaicin component in chilli which gives the spice, can also burn sensitive skin or eyes if touched.

If you don't have gloves, wash your hands well with dish soap after slicing. Dish soap can be more effective than regular hand soap at dissolving the chilli oils.

a silver colander of green jalapeño slices

Preparing the Brine

In a deep saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring the liquid to a simmer and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved.

Packing the Jars

Pack the jalapeno rounds and garlic slices into the hot jars, pushing them down with the back of a spoon to pack them in well. Top the jars with hot brine until it reaches about 1.5cm or ½ an inch below the rim of the jar. Wipe the rims of the jars clean and seal them.

a glass jar of bright green jalapeño pepper slices on a wooden board. Another jar is in the background

Processing the Jalapeños

Place a rack or something similar at the bottom of the pot of the large saucepan or canning pot of boiling water to avoid the jars sitting directly on the bottom of the pot. Carefully lower the hot jars into the boiling water. Fill the pot with more hot water to cover the jars if needed, then bring the water once again to a boil.

Once boiling, boil the jars for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let them sit in the water for 5 minutes before removing the jars and letting them cool completely.

When cooled, check that the seals on the jars are sucked in and store in a cool pantry for up to a year. Once opened, store in the refrigerator.

a close up of a glass jar of muted green jalapeño pepper slices on a wooden board.another jar is in the background

Homemade pickled jalapeños HAVE to go on my nachos.

Want more preserving recipes? Try Peach Preserves or homemade Tomato Passata.

Yield: 4 jars