Go Back
Candied jalapenos, also known as "cowboy candy"

Candied Jalapenos (Cowboy Candy)

Sweet and spicy candied jalapeno peppers! Made without canning equipment (just glass jars and lids!) Super easy and tastes delicious on burgers, nachos, and poutine.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time in Fridge 14 days
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 10

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 pair of disposable gloves a plastic sandwich baggy works in a pinch!
  • 2 glass mason jars pint size, or about 500mL each

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds jalapeno peppers, sliced
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 cups white sugar (can reduce to 2 cups if preferred)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground tumeric

Instructions
 

  • Wash and dry jalapeno peppers. Wear gloves and slice all the peppers into rings, discarding the stems. For less spice, also discard the seeds and white pith inside the peppers. Rings should be about 1/4" to 1/2" inch thick.
  • In a large pot, add vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, and tumeric. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. It may get bubbly/foamy - this means it is too hot, so turn down the heat.
  • After 5 minutes, raise the heat up to high and add the peppers. Once this starts boiling, turn it back down to a simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Remove peppers and place into glass jars. Keep the syrup in the pot.
  • Bring the syrup to a rolling boil and let that go for 5-10 minutes.
  • Carefully transfer the syrup into each jar. Wipe the rims with a damp cloth and put on some lids.
  • Refrigerate for about 2 weeks. Product can be enjoyed for a couple of months when stored correctly in the fridge.

Notes

  • This recipe makes enough for about 2 mason jars (500mL each). Glass jars are recommended due to the addition of very hot ingredients directly into the containers.
  • Cowboy Candy is often canned using a waterbath method. I have not tried this, but there are many recipes online that can guide you in how to do this. I have a glasstop stove so I am not canning food at this point. 
  • Gloves are recommended. For this amount of peppers, even after washing your hands the compounds of the peppers can soak into your skin and remain there for awhile. To be safe, use gloves. If you do not have disposable food-grade gloves, a plastic sandwich baggy can do the trick in a pinch, although it is a bit awkward to work with. Better safe than sorry!
  • Due to the varying heat levels from pepper to pepper, it is hard to predict how spicy the batch will turn out. I think this recipe would work well for other types of peppers as well, but I have not tried it. 
 
 
Keyword jalapeno