A pantry staple, homemade Pickled Jalapeño Peppers are so easy to make! Whether you’re canning jalapeño peppers or quick pickling them, this simple recipe will have you preserving jalapeños in no time!
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Extending the Season
Like my Pickled Banana Peppers, preserving jalapeños couldn’t be simpler. Whether you grow your own or spy those bright green beauties at the farmers market or grocery, late summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy pickling in season jalapeños.
Enjoy this quick pickled jalapeño recipe within an hour or canned jalapeños the following day. Their flavor improves with a little time.
Ingredients for Pickled Jalapeños
A short list of ingredients for these pickled peppers, here’s what you’ll need to make em’ (see recipe card for details):
- 5% Distilled White Vinegar
- Water
- Salt
- Sugar
- Garlic
- Jalapeños
How To Preserve Jalapeños
Preserving jalapeños is super easy. With just a few ingredients and fresh jalapeños, homemade pickled peppers can be enjoyed throughout the year. Here’s how to quick pickle jalapeño peppers (refrigerator pickled) and how to can jalapeño peppers (see recipe below for details):
- First, sterilize the jars and lids.
- Second, throughly wash the peppers.
- Third, chop the peppers into rings. To protect hands from those burning pepper oils, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands throughly after handling the peppers.
- Fourth, bring the vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a boil. Add the peppers and garlic to the vinegar water, stir and remove from heat. Allow to set for 15 minutes. You’ll notice the color of the pickles turn from bright green to a duller shade.
- Next, pack the jars with cut peppers, while also pouring the brine into jars. Use a spoon to gently pack the rings if needed, to make room for more. Top with brine and more peppers as needed. Leave about a 1/2″ head space at the top of each jar. Lid the peppers.
- *At this point for quick pickled jalapeños, simply place the jars in the refrigerator. They’ll last for several months and be ready for snacking in about 24 hours, or in an hour for the quickest pickle!
- Last, to can the peppers, in a large pot of boiling water, process the jars for 10 minutes. Remove, and cool. *See Makers’ Notes Update Below.
If your jalapeños are canned, listen for the lid to pop – this means your jars are sealed and ready for long term storage at room temperature. If you’re going for a refrigerator quick pickle, the lid doesn’t need to pop, rather your peppers are ready to be refrigerated right after lidding the jar.
How Hot Are Jalapeño Peppers?
Jalapeño’s Scoville rating, a measurement of a pepper’s heat, ranges between 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville heat units, with the upper end resulting in major mouth burn! By comparison, banana peppers are mild with a Scoville range of 0 to 500 and Anaheim, medium from 500 to 2500 Scoville units.
Jalapeño’s heat can vary from pepper to pepper. But removing the white parts (ribs) and seeds from a jalapeño reduces their fiery notes while retaining their flavorful, less spicy parts.
Quick pickled banana peppers are simple to whip up too. Check out my Pickled Banana Peppers recipe and give these flavorful peppers a try!
Does Pickling Jalapeños Make Them Less Spicy?
Pickling jalapeños tend to calm the spice a bit, but not entirely. It all depends on how spicy the jalapeños are to start with. Pickling only tames the heat so far!
If a less spicy pickling is desired, first, remove the ribs and seeds of the peppers by cutting the peppers in half. Scrape out the ribs and seeds with a spoon or slice with a knife. Then, slice the peppers into 1/2 rings. If the pepper is large and straight enough, you can simply cut off the stem end and scrape out the ribs and seeds. The pepper ring shape will be retained!
What Do You Do with Pickled Jalapeños?
Treat these spicy, briny, flavor popping peppers as a condiment. Enjoy them on all things Mexican food and more like:
- Tacos Rancheros
- Nachos
- Mexican Chipotle Salsa
- Skillet Enchiladas Verde
- Tofu Enchiladas
- Spicy Sofritas
- Black Bean Tostadas with Fajita Veggies
- Black Bean Walnut Burgers
- Stir them into mac and cheese (!!).
- Dice em’ up and add to Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread or Gluten Free Cornbread
- Slow Cooked Pinto Beans
- Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili
How Long Do Pickled Jalapeños Last?
An opened jar of quick pickled jalapeños can last several months in the fridge, or if properly canned, up to one year at room temperature.
Equipment for Canning
To make canning easier, use a few pieces of special equipment specific for canning. The stockpot I use to process the jars is my largest soup pot. It’s on the small side for canning, but it works (these are affiliate links).
- Wide Mouth Funnel
- Jar lifter
- Canning Jars – I like 16oz jars for jalapeños
- Water Bath Canner or Large 10 Quart Stockpot (or 9.5L) – fitted with a canning rack
- Four Cup Measuring Glass
A Few Recipe Notes
- Make sure your jars are sterilized before preserving jalapeños. The National Center for Home Food Preservation shows us how.
- This pickled jalapeño recipe yields three 16oz jars as written, but the recipe doubles with ease.
- Use latex gloves to protect hands from hot pepper oils. The burn tends to linger otherwise, even after washing hands with hot soapy water!
Makers’ Notes Update
August 2021: I’ve received a few notes regarding the pickled peppers being soft or mushy after canning. Here are some tips I’ve gleaned about this:
- Use the freshest jalapeños you can get your hands on. Look for jalapeños at farmers’ markets, fresh from the garden, or through a CSA.
- Make sure you’re canning in the water bath for no longer than 10 minutes. Set a timer and watch it closely.
- A tip I learned from Chili Pepper Madness in the comments and on another forum is there’s a product called Pickle Crisp that may help (I’ve not tried this).
- If you’re worried about soft peppers, make quick pickled peppers. They’ll last for months in the fridge.
- Check for spoilage (see recipe notes).
More Recipes to Enjoy Jalapeños With
Pickled Jalapeño Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs (675g) Jalapeño Peppers
- 2 C (530g) Water
- 2 C (515g) 5% Distilled White Vinegar
- 2 Tbs Fine Sea Salt
- 2 Tbs Cane Sugar
- 2 Fat Cloves of Garlic minced
Instructions
- Sterilize three, 16oz jars and lids. The National Center for Home Food Preservation shows us how.
- Thoroughly wash the peppers and chop into rings. To protect hands from burning pepper oils, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after handling the peppers.
- In a medium sauce pot, bring the vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a boil. Add the peppers and garlic to the vinegar water, stir then remove from heat. Allow the peppers to set, submerged, in the brine solution for 15 minutes. You'll notice the color of the peppers turn from bright green to a duller shade. Meanwhile, decide if canning or quick/refrigerator pickling the peppers and prepare by reading A or B below.
- Once the peppers have changed color, pack the jars with the peppers, while also scooping the brine into jars. Use a spoon to gently pack the rings if needed, to make room for more (they can be packed in pretty tight). Top with brine and more peppers as needed. Leave about a 1/2″ (1.3cm) head space at the top of each jar. At this point, you have two options. Can the peppers or quick/refrigerator pickle them.
- A. If Canning: Bring a large water bath canner or your largest stock pot fitted with a canning rack (wire rack in the bottom), of water to a boil (at least a 10 quart pot(9.5L)). You want the pot large enough to cover the jars with one inch of water and hold as many jars as can fit for processing. Place the jar lids in a shallow pan and pour boiling water over the lids. This softens the rubber seals and readies them for canning. Allow the lids to set until you're ready to lid the jars. Lid the peppers and gently twist the lid rings on the jars. Once the water is boiling, use a jar lifter to gently place the jars in the water. Set a timer for 10 minutes and process the jars. After 10 minutes, remove the jars from the water, dry off with a towel and set aside to cool completely. B. For Quick/Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños:Simply place the lidded jars in the refrigerator. They'll last for several months and be ready for snacking in about 24 hours, or in an hour for the quickest pickle! They taste better with a little time on them.
- If your jalapeños are canned, listen for the lid to pop - this means your jars are sealed and ready for long term storage at room temperature. If the lid doesn't pop or seal, place them in the refrigerator and treat them as quick pickled Jalapeños.If you're going for a refrigerator quick pickle, the lid doesn't need to pop, rather your peppers are ready to be refrigerated right after lidding the jar.
- Quick pickled jalapeños can last several months in the fridge or if properly canned, up to one year at room temperature. Once a jar is opened, store it in the refrigerator. An open jar of canned or quick pickled jalapeños will last months in the refrigerator. (update 3/22: this year my unopened quick pickled jalapeños lasted eight months in the fridge)
How do you know when the picked fridge peppers are no longer edible?
Hi Kelli! Look for any signs of spoilage, like an off color or unnatural odor, bubbles, or mold, for example. For more information, see WSU Pickling Vegetables.
Thank you for this great recipe! I’ve made it about 4 times this year already and am about to do it again with the remainder of all of my garden jalapenos. What I’d like to clarify is when you mentioned “this year yours lasted 8 months in the fridge,” how do you know how long they lasted this year versus a previous year? I’m doing fridge canning and am about to have a LOT of pickled jalapenos (because I have an induction cooktop and the pressure canner we bought can’t be used on induction, and we haven’t committed to buying the other kind). If they last 8 months in the fridge, but a year on the shelf, it’s not really worth buying a pressure canner. Thank you in advance for clarification.
Hi Michelle! So glad you’re enjoying the peppers. It was the first year I took note of how long our pickled jalapenos peppers (not canned) lasted in the fridge… we made a huge batch, so at the 8 month mark, I used my last jar. Previous years I only made a small batch (one recipe) and we ate them quickly, probably within a month or two.
AH!!! I get what you mean! You ran out after 8 months. Got it! So there isn’t a fear of them “going bad” after more than 2 months, I guess? Thank you for being so prompt!!!
Hi Michelle… that’s just my experience. I have also had the experience of reused canning jars busting in the water bath when canning, where others haven’t experienced that.
Totally get that! Th am you for sharing what you experience!
Can I use whole jalapenos for this recipe? I’ve made cowboy candies but would really love to can them “whole” this time. Would it work?
Hi Brenda! I’ve not tried it so I’m not sure how they’d turn out. If you experiment, please let us know how it goes!🙋🏻♀️
A simple straight forward recipe. I am wondering why you would buy new jars every year? I have used same jars for years and only issue of breakage has been when I have added hot liquid to cold glass.
Hi Tom! Jars busting in a hot water bath is simply my experience, so I make the decision to buy new. While it doesn’t happen every time, I thought it important to share in this space because if it does happen, it’s a mess and food is wasted. Instead of recycling old jars, I reuse them to quick pickle, use for freezer jam, store bulk foods, drink from and much more. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I have done the canning version. How long do they need to sit before they can be opened and enjoyed?
Hi Pia! Listen for the lid to pop – this means your jars are sealed and ready for long term storage at room temperature. Then, you can refrigerate as needed, to be enjoyed 24 hours after they chill.
A trick I learned to not get mushy jalapenos is don’t put them in the liquid. Fill the jars with the rings. After boiling the liquid, let it cool down between warm and hot. Pour the brine into the jars and let the water bath do the cooking for you.
Thank you for sharing your tip, Carl, and giving the jalapeños a go!
I’m an avid canner, and have never heard of only using brand new jars, what a waste. I can hundreds of jars every year, and maybe one cracks every 2-3years. Many of my jars are 30+ years old. Just check your jars well while washing, and you’ll be fine.
Also, it is recommended not to tighten jars after sealing. Instead, I remove the rings the next day, rinse and dry off the jars, then store my jars without rings. This keeps the rings from trapping moisture and rusting. If I give them away, I will put a ring back on then.
Hi Cathy! Thank you for your note and sharing your tips about jar rings! Interesting about new vs old jars. I’m wondering if, since your jars are 30+ years old, manufacturing processes and/or materials have changed such that newer jars don’t hold up to recanning like they once did? Jars busting in a water bath is simply my experience, and while it doesn’t happen every time, I thought it important to share in this space because if it does happen, it’s a mess and food is wasted. Instead of recycling old jars, I reuse them to quick pickle, use for freezer jam, store bulk foods, drink from and much more. They’re so versatile!
Hi. Just made these jalapeno peppers. I am canning two of them and one quick. They were all from my garden. Question: I have extra brine left. I made a little extra because I had 1 3/4lbs. Can I reuse the left over brine for some of the peppers that are still growing in the garden?
Hi Sandra.. I’m not sure since I’ve not tried it. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.
If sealed up, brine should last a few weeks in the fridge
Super easy to do and the finished product is awesome.
Thank you for your note, Chuck and giving the peppers a go! SO happy to hear!
This is an absolutely wonderful recipe. The last time I made it I put brussels sprouts in with the peppers and that was really amazing
Hi Pat! Oh wow! Brussels spouts? What fun! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go!
Easy for sure but loss the pop to the peppers. I canned mine.
Hi Keilan! I’m sorry to hear your peppers lost their pop. I have a few notes regarding this in the blog post.
Will this recipe work with other types of vinegar?
Hi Jenny! I’m not sure since I’ve not tried other types of vinegar.
Hi Traci! I grew jalapeños in my yard this summer and have had so many all summer long that I’ve had to freeze the earlier ones. Can I thaw some and pickle and can them? Will they turn out the same as the ones I just picked? If no answer, I will try them both ways and let you know. I also will try mixing frozen and fresh. I really have that many!!
Hi Kimm! I’ve not tried freezing the jalapeños. I’d love to hear the results of your testing!
How long do you recommend processing jars if using pints or half pints? Recipe says 10 min for quarts? Do you think the same?
Hi Dawn! The National Center for Food Preservation says 10 minutes for pint jars. I hope this helps!
I just made these and am really excited to try them! Instead of slicing the jalapeños, I pulsed them in the food processor to have little pieces. I’m tempted to get more peppers.
Oooh such a smart idea! Thank you for sharing Angela! It’s that time of year 🙌🏻
Dice them up and follow a recipe for cowboy candy. Makes a great relish
My husband loves them in tuna fish.
Hi Mari! So happy to hear…. thank you for your note!
Made with banana peppers. amazing! Thank you!
Thank you for your note, Elizabeth! So happy to read it!
Hi: Is the sugar necessary? I usually eat a sugar free diet and was just wondering if the sugar was just for taste…?
Hi Geo… I always use sugar to help balance acidity in this recipe. It also acts as a preservative, so I’m not sure what kind of result you’d get if you leave it out.
? When we do our pickles we do not tighten the rim until we bring it out of the hot water bath. Is that what I should do with the jalapenos?
Hi Keri! See 5A. “Lid the peppers and gently twist the lid rings on the jars.” Tightening after the water bath is fine, as they should already be sealed by the lid. I hope this helps!
I made a similar recipe last year and the jalapenos ended up soft. Do the jalapenos stay crunchy with this recipe?
Hi Joyce! It’s been my experience that this recipe yields a pickled jalapeno somewhere in between, not soft but not fully crunchy. I hope this helps!
Thank you, Traci. It does help me!
I’ve been looking at several different jalapeno recipes and I am going to try this one. However, your recipe uses sea salt versus kosher salt. What is the difference in the salts. Looking so forward to trying this recipe
Hi Priscilla! I use fine sea salt for just about everything in my kitchen simply because I can buy it in bulk. The crystals are fine. Kosher salt, on the other hand is usually sold in the form of a larger crystal size. So, comparatively, because crystal sizes differ and if subbing, the amount of kosher salt will exceed the necessary sea salt slightly. By how much exactly, I’m not sure. I hope this helps!
Do you haven to put peppers in brine and cook for canning ? Can you just cut up peppers and put in jar and then pour brine over them and seal
Hi Regina! I’ve been making this recipe for years, and have not tried other methods. So, I don’t know if that would work with jalapeños.
My daughter & I canned the jalapeños…how long will it be before we can eat them? That was not included in the recipe! They looked great & this was our 1st try at teaching my daughter to can. Thank you
Hi Jeanne! Oops, sorry about that.. you can eat them any time, but for best flavor, give em a few days to soak up the vinegar. Thank you for your note and hooray for fun at home canning!
Ohh, I know my husband would love to take on this project some weekend! Can’t wait to share this with him! Spicy sammies here we come!
Oh yes to spicy sammies! I’m all heart eyes!
I’m planning on trying to grow jalapeño peppers next year, Traci – so I need to file this recipe away so I remember to try this. Love that they last several months in the fridge – handy to have on hand to jazz up any number of recipes! Pinning!
I love hearing that Geraldine! Perhaps I’ll have my garden in by next spring (rolls eyes) and we can compare notes. So handy to have in the larder!
Thank you for this gorgeous and delicious recipe, my darling Traci! I am going to make some and use both the peppers and the brine in a spicy dirty martini! Cheers!
Hiii Deb! Thanks for poppin in and sharing your tip. Your martini sounds over the top! xo
What a fun project to keep our favorite type of food fully flavored up! I’m with you for holding onto to the summer’s offerings for as long as possible. Pumpkin spice (gah!) can wait. Hope you have a great weekend!
Yes to jalapeños Jean! Fully flavored goodness. I’m SO with you re: pumpkin spice (gah!! can wait) lol! Those summer offerings will be rollin in for at least the next month and a half before pumpkin makes a showing again on this blog! Corn, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant here I come!
‘Tis the season for pickling and preserving! I’ll be making jam later this wee! I would love to have these jalapeños in my refrigerator for snacking! I bet they are great on tacos! Enjoy the long weekend, Traci!
I know we’re always on the same page with regards to this time of produce transition, Liz! Like you, I’m still jamming… I just made rhubarb jam (!!) Rhubarb is still making a showing at the farmers market (wooooo!!) … and so it goes. And yes to tacos with lots and lots of jalapeños!
My husband will go for jalapeno all the time, he just loves it! I never thought of pickling, but now am tempted to make a batch.
They’re so easy to do, Kankana! LMK if you give em’ a go!