Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapeños)

By : | 20 Comments | On : September 1, 2015 | Category : Canning, Food, Pickling, Preserve, Recipes

Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapeños)

Hot & Sweet Candied Jalapeños

Do you remember that commercial with the awkward woman mispronouncing ‘jalapeño”? Every single time I say jalapeño I am now tempted to pronounce it as Jah-lap-en-oh thanks to her.

After hearing raves about candied jalapeños, I HAD TO try it out. 4 weeks ago, I did; and now I know what all the fuss is about!

They are hot and sweet and addictive, and the ‘syrup’ is going to be incredible as a meat marinade (so be sure to can the extra syrup)!

I must say I’d never before imagined buying 3 pounds of jalapeño at one time for any reason LOL.

This is a very simple recipe, and won’t take long to make; but you have to put it away and forget about it for at least 2 weeks (I waited 4 weeks and believe me, they are plenty hot!). The earlier you try them, the hotter they will be.

If you enjoy the idea of snickering quietly while watching people suffer, open and serve these suckers early.

jalapeño syrup and candied jalapeño

Loosely packed, this made 8 – 1/2 pint jars1/2 pint jars plus 1 – 1/2 pint of syrup.

Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapeños) Recipe

  • 3 lbs. jalapeños
  • 2 cups 5% apple cider vinegaracv (must be at least 5% for safe canning)
  • 6 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp. celery seed
  • 3 tsps. granulated garlic or 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

First and foremost – wear glovesgloves. Do not touch your face or anything else – unless you are some kind of jalapeño-immune superhero you will live to regret the decision. The thought of this will immediately make your nose itch – prepare yourself mentally! I’m kidding, but seriously – wear gloves.

Gather your canning equipmentcanning equipment and sterilized jars.

candied jalapeño spices

Prepare jalapeños by removing stems, and seeds (if desired), and slicing into 1/4″ rounds using a mandolinmandolin or sharp knife. Set sliced peppers aside.
It’s a bit tedious to remove all the seeds, so I left them in, but if you do take them out, they could be dehydrated for future use.

In a large pot, add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Bring vinegar back up to boil and stir in jalapeños. Cover and cook for 4 minutes.

Use a slotted metal spoon to remove jalapeños to jars.

Continue boiling the vinegar mixture another 6 minutes at a full boil.

Ladle vinegar into jars to within 1/4″ of the rims.

Use a chopstick to jostle out any air bubbles from the jars and a damp paper towel to wipe rims.

Place warm lids on jars, and add ring to just finger tight.

Place jars on rack in canning pot, making sure water covers the jars by at least 2″, cover, and bring to a full rolling boil.

Boil hard for 10 minutes for 1/2 pint jars. For pint jars, process for 15 minutes. Check safe canning procedures for higher elevations.

After 10 minutes, remove pot from heat and remove lid. Leave jars in water for 20 minutes. Use jar lifter to remove jars onto a towel on counter top without tipping jars, and in an area where they won’t be disturbed for 24 hours, and away from drafts.

After 24 hours, check seals by gently pressing the tops. If the lid pushes in at all, it didn’t seal properly and must be stored in the fridge.

Remove rings from jars, add labels, and store in a single layer* (no stacking) in your pantry for 2 – 4 weeks before use.

*This is a safety precaution – If jars are stored with the rings on and the seal fails, you may not know it because the ring provides pressure making it appear sealed. The same goes for stacking.*

Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapeños)

Enjoy! These are so good, I know Kevin will be devouring them! Have you ever tried candied jalapeños?

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Comments (20)

  1. posted by Hayli on September 1, 2015

    These sound good!

      Reply
    • posted by YogurtHydro on September 4, 2015

      I have to say I’ve been putting them on everything lol. Let me know if you try them!

        Reply
  2. posted by julieiscocoandcocoa on September 1, 2015

    I’ve never tried these, but it sounds simple enough!

      Reply
    • posted by YogurtHydro on September 4, 2015

      They are a yummy balance of spicy and sweet, and not difficult to make. Let me know if you try it out!:)

        Reply
  3. posted by Chris Stigall on September 19, 2015

    These look great, would this be an easy beginner recipe? (Just ordered some canning equipment from amazon)

      Reply
    • posted by YogurtHydro on September 19, 2015

      Yes, this would be good for a beginner, the recipe itself is fairly simple. Once you’ve gone through the steps of water bath canning once or twice, it’s much easier than it seems!

      One tip: have everything you’ll need laid out nearby and ready to use.

      If you have any questions send me a note, I’d be happy to help:.)

        Reply
  4. posted by events92 on October 5, 2015

    I am not sure why, but I cannot stand cider vinegar, I can taste it in everything! Would it be okay to use regular pickling vinegar?

      Reply
    • posted by YogurtHydro on October 5, 2015

      Yes you can. It will change the flavor, but if you can’t stand ACV you can definitely use another vinegar as long as it is at least 5% acidity. White is fine, or any other type you enjoy.
      I’d love to know how it turns out.:)

        Reply
  5. posted by alicia0795 on November 19, 2015

    yum! sounds very goos. never seen this recipe anywhere!

      Reply
  6. posted by Mai Tran on November 24, 2015

    A pizza is not a pizza without jalapeno! I must make this for our pizza nights. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  7. posted by Gloria on December 7, 2015

    Seems like 6 cups of sugar is too much? Mine turned out to sweet?

      Reply
    • posted by YogurtHydro on December 7, 2015

      How long did you store it for before trying them out Gloria? The heat from the peppers will continue to infuse into the syrup over time. I find the syrup is sweet, but the peppers are still scorching hot, so it makes a nice balance.

        Reply
  8. posted by Sally Wilsey on December 9, 2015

    I will have to try these on my son who is a lover of hot Jalapenos. I am guessing a jar will be gone in a day.

      Reply
  9. posted by krysprincess on February 24, 2016

    These sound good i need to try some of your recipes

      Reply
  10. posted by clojo9372 on March 2, 2016

    it’s amazing what i learn on this blog. i’ve never heard of candied jalapenos. i don’t eat them normally, but my parents do – they might like this. thanks so much! :)

      Reply
  11. posted by Jodi on July 22, 2016

    How many pints does one 3# recipe yield?

      Reply
    • posted by YogurtHydro on July 22, 2016

      This will make 8 half pint jars of jalapenos and 1 half pint jar with only syrup.

        Reply
  12. posted by Bess on September 28, 2016

    I have made these for several years now, we just love them. Today I made a salid with cauliflower ,onions, garlic and the Jalapenos cut up small . For the dressing I put some mayo in a container and thinned it quite a bit with the juice from the Jalapenos ( that juice is so good ) After mixing I added some fancy shredded natural cheese on top .We loved it .I do remove the seeds so they aren’t so hot.

      Reply
    • posted by YogurtHydro on October 2, 2016

      Oh yum, that sounds like something I’ll have to try. Thanks for the idea:)

        Reply
  13. posted by Cheryl on August 21, 2020

    What do you do with leftover syrup?

      Reply

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