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Candied Jalape�os

Source of Recipe

From "Food Gift Love" by Maggie Battista


Recipe Introduction

"I grew up in a household of women who filled warm corn tortillas with nothing but sliced jalape�os and a squeeze of lemon. I watched as a child thinking these women were absolutely crazy. Turns out they were on to something. I transformed that memory into something a little more palatable by adding vinegar and sugar. These Candied Jalape�os offer balance to my Smoky Chicken Soup, fancy up cream cheese and crackers, or satisfy simply tucked into a plain corn tortilla for a quick snack. I use this same recipe to make jalape�o simply syrup which, combined with lime juice and Orange Cordial, makes a spicy (and memorable!) Margarita."

List of Ingredients

◦� 1 pound jalape�os, washed and dried
◦� 3 cups (about 1 � pounds) granulated sugar
◦� 1 cup apple cider vinegar
◦� 1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick
◦� 3 whole cloves
◦� 1 star anise pod

Special Equipment:
◦� Kitchen scale
◦� Rubber gloves
◦� 3 half-pint glass jars with airtight lids, sterilized
◦� Wide-mouth funnel




Recipe

Prepare the jalape�os:
To avoid burning your skin or eyes, wear rubber gloves when working with jalape�os. Slice them horizontally into �-inch rounds. Discard the stem end, and gently pull or slice out the seeds; use a little water to help clean them out completely. If you prefer more heat, leave the seeds just where they are. (I love heat, but for some, it's just a bit too hot.) Set aside.

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook 5 additional minutes.

Add the jalape�os and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, watching very closely. When the first jalape�o begins to lose its bright green color, remove all of them from the pot quickly with a slotted spoon and place them in a medium bowl. Then, distribute the jalape�os among the sterilized jars. Remove the cinnamon stick from the pot and discard, but leave the rest of the spices in the syrup.

Return the syrup to a boil over medium-low heat and cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally to help the foam subside. Remove from the heat. Ladle the hot syrup through a funnel into the jalape�o jars, leaving � inch of headspace. Let the cloves and star anise pod find a home in the jars. Tap the jars a few times to loosen any air bubbles. Wipe the rims and seal carefully, as the jars will be hot. If you're not preserving/canning the jalape�os, allow them to cool completely and then store in the fridge up to 3 weeks.

If you're preserving the jalape�os, place the jars in a single layer in your pot of boiling water. Once the water bath boils again, process the jars 10 minutes. Store up to one year in a dark pantry.

Makes about 3 cups