Addictive canned cowboy candy is the perfect way to preserve a bunch of jalapenos in a sweet and spicy sauce. These sweet hot peppers are perfect on burgers, diced into Mexican foods, added to dips, and mixed into my favorite, Masters golf pimento cheese spread.
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What is Cowboy Candy?
Cowboy candy is another name for candied jalapeños, sliced jalapenos that are simmered and sweetened in a seasoned simple syrup with a few pickling spices.
What is so great about these little bits of goodness is the combination of sweet and spicy. They are perfect mixed in with cream cheese for a dip with crackers or topping for nachos and burgers. I love to throw a few in this festive rice salad or simply have them out in a bowl with green salsa and red salsa with tacos and nachos.
😋 Why You Will Love Candied Jalapenos
- Candied jalapenos are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy!
- A simple and delicious way to store jalapenos!
- An easy-to-follow canning recipe that's perfect for beginners!
Canning Basics
The simplicity of canning candied jalapenos makes this cowboy candy recipe a great place to learn canning for beginners.
If you are new to canning, a great way to get started is with a review of some of the simple canning terms used in the process and what canning supplies you will need.
These posts are the perfect way to start learning how to economically can your own healthy vegetables, jams, soups, and meats.
Check out Water Bath Canning For Beginners post to easily learn the basics of home preserving and be ready to confidently can up a big batch of your own canned candied jalapenos.
🛒 Ingredient Notes
All you need are a few simple ingredients to whip up a batch of spicy, sweet jalapeno peppers!
- Jalapeño peppers: Generally, smaller and brighter peppers are hotter, so choose accordingly. This candied jalapeno recipe is best with fresh jalapenos so be sure to choose peppers that are smooth. If it's dimpled, then it is starting to lose moisture and is not very fresh.
- Apple cider vinegar: A mild, slightly sweet vinegar that is perfect for canning.
- White granulated sugar: Gives the sweetness to counteract the spiciness of the jalapenos.
- Turmeric: This bright yellow herb adds a unique flavor to these sweet and spicy jalapenos.
- Celery seed: A common ingredient used in pickling you can easily find at the grocery store with spices.
- Granulated garlic powder: An easy pantry staple perfect for making sweet pickled jalapenos.
- Cayenne pepper: Just a touch especially if you have slightly milder jalapenos.
How to Safely Handle Jalapenos
I always use disposable gloves when cutting jalapenos. Just be sure to not rub your face when you have the gloves on.
- Start by cutting the stem off your jalapeno.
- Cut the jalapeno pepper in half.
- Using a spoon, scoop the seeds out from the inside of the pepper, scraping as much of the white rib out with the seeds.
- Cut the two halves of the pepper into halves again.
- Cut the slices into diced pieces
🔪 Instructions for Cowboy Candy Canning Recipe
Follow along step by step to ensure you have excellent results when making your own sweet pickled jalapenos.
- Before you start preparing your peppers, place a canner rack in the bottom of a boiling water canner. Fill the canner half full with clean, warm water for a canner load of pint jars. For other sizes and numbers of jars, you will need to adjust the amount of water so it will be 1 to 2 inches over the top of the filled jars.
2. Center the canner over the burner and preheat the water to 140 degrees F. for raw-packed foods and to 180 degrees F. for hot-packed foods. You can begin preparing food for your jars while this water is preheating.
3. Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers. The easiest way to do this is to slice a small disc off of the stem-end along with the stem. Discard the stems
4. Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.
5. In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic, and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Raise the heat to boil again, add the pepper slices, return to a hard boil, then reduce the heat again and simmer for exactly 4 minutes.
7. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the jalapenos, loading them into clean, sterile canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar.
8. Ladle or pour the syrup into the jars over the candied jalapeno slices to 1/4 inch headspace, Insert a butter knife to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary.
9. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness. Place jars in canner rack.
10. Place rack in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints.
11. Using a jar lifter, remove the jars one at a time, being careful not to tilt the jars. Carefully place them directly onto a kitchen towel or cake cooling rack, leaving at least one inch of space between the jars during cooling. Avoid placing the jars on a cold surface or in a cold draft.
VISIT CANNED COWBOY CANDY JALAPENOS WEB STORY
🔀 Recipe Variations
Want to change up your batch of candied jalapenos? Here are some amazing variations you can try out!
- Smokey Cowboy Candy: Add 1 tbsp smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon cumin to the basic recipe.
- Brown Sugar Candied Jalapenos: Substitute the white sugar in the basic recipe for brown sugar.
- Christmas Cowboy Candy: Use 1/2 very ripe red jalapenos and 1/2 green. Follow the basic recipe.
- Tropical Cowboy Candy: Substitute 1/3 of the jalapenos for small fresh pineapple pieces.
How to Serve Candied Jalapenos
Not sure how to use up all your jars! Here are just a few of my favorites!
- Topping on nachos, a little heat, and sweet in every bite!
- Make macaroni salads taste even better!
- Chop and mix in when baking cornbread.
- Add chopped candied jalapenos to the Masters Pimento Cheese Recipe.
- They make a great mix-in for omelets.
- Spice up any summer bbq with canned cowboy candy jalapenos as a burger or hot dog topping.
- You can spice up your vegan tacos.
- Spice up some vegan stuffed mushrooms with a little heat.
- To make candied jalapeno dip, mix a block of cream cheese with 1/4 cup of chopped candied peppers.
How to Use the Juice
After all your jalapenos are gone and the juice in the jar is left behind don't throw it away! You can actually use it!! Also, I always have leftover syrup when making candied jalapenos, so I water bath can the juice also.
Either one makes an outstanding marinade or seasoning sauce!
- Add it to your favorite potato salad or macaroni for summer BBQs!
- Make marinade and seasoning sauce with it!
- Mix into bean dip for a sweet and spicy dip for nacho chips!
- Add it to your favorite salsa for a sweet and spicy version that’s great with chicken and seafood!
- Mix it into cream cheese and serve up with crackers and veggies as a dip!
💭 Expert Tips
Use caution when handling jalapenos. Nothing hurts more than rubbing your eye with jalapeno juice on your fingers. Wear rubber gloves and avoid touching your face.
To store in the refrigerator, skip the canning method given in the recipe and keep them refrigerated for up to three months.
Once you open canned cowboy candy, store it in the refrigerator.
Don’t waste the juice! It makes a great marinade or way to flavor different sauces.
❓FAQs
One can eat just so many jalapenos at a time, and it always seems my peppers are ready all at the same time. I have dried them and ground them into a powder for seasoning. However, my family's favorite way of preserving them is canned cowboy candy. You can keep them for up to a year, it's easy to do, and there are so many different ways you can use them in recipes all year long.
No, I don’t recommend freezing candied jalapenos as the freezer tends to change the consistency of the pickled jalapenos.
Yes, red jalapenos tend to be spicier in flavor than the green ones so select them with caution! In general, the spiciness of jalapenos can vary widely as well with some being much hotter than others.
You can refrigerate them for up to three months. However, when water bath canning, you can store them for up to a year.
Place your hands in a bowl of cool milk or smear yogurt on like lotion. The casein found in dairy can help wash the capsaicin (the burning part of a jalapeno) off your hands. Also, hot, soapy water can help relieve the burn. Gently scrub with a clean kitchen brush until the pain subsides.
Yes, follow the recipe through the cooking process, and then place candied jalapenos in jars or an airtight container. Keep them in the refrigerator for up to three months.
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Recipe
Canned Cowboy Candy; pickled jalapenos
Ingredients
- 3 pounds jalapeno peppers washed, fresh and firm
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 6 cups white granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 3 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
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Instructions
- Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers. The easiest way to do this is to slice a small disc off of the stem-end along with the stem. Discard the stems.
- Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.
- In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Raise the heat to boiling again, add the pepper slices, return to a hard boil, then reduce the heat again and simmer for exactly 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar.
- Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices to 1/4 inch headspace, Insert a butter knife to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.
- NOTE: Be sure and can your leftover syrup too. It makes a great addition to marinads on meat or a seasoning sauce to anything you want to add a little sweet heat to.
- Place jars in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When the timer goes off, using a jar lifter, remove the jars one at a time, being careful not to tilt the jars. Carefully place them directly onto a kitchen towel or cake cooling rack, leaving at least one inch of space between the jars during cooling. Avoid placing the jars on a cold surface or in a cold draft.
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Notes
- Smokey Cowboy Candy: Add 1 tbsp smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon cumin to the basic recipe.
- Brown Sugar Candied Jalapenos: Substitute the white sugar in the basic recipe for brown sugar.
- Christmas Cowboy Candy: Use 1/2 very ripe red jalapenos and 1/2 green. Follow the basic recipe.
- Tropical Cowboy Candy: Substitute 1/3 of the jalapenos for small fresh pineapple pieces.
Nutrition
View the web story for Candied Jalapenos (Cowboy Candy)
This post was originally posted in December 2020. Updated with new images and tips April 2022
Dennis
How long do they last in a dry cellar
Gina
I can enough to supply us for a year but sometimes we don't get them all eaten until a year and a half.I keep them in a dry basement. Be sure to write the date on your lids with a permanent marker and store without the rings. To be sure you are following safe water bath canning practices be sure and visit: https://intentionalhospitality.com/water-bath-canning/
***According to the National Center for Home Preservation, properly canned food stored in a cool, dry place will retain optimum eating quality for at least 1 year. Canned food stored in a warm place near hot pipes, a range, a furnace, or in indirect sunlight may lose some of its eating quality in a few weeks or months, depending on the temperature. Dampness may corrode cans or metal lids and cause leakage so the food will spoil.
Christine
I'm new to canning, and can't wait to try these out! I want to try canning some of this in the 4oz. jar to add to some gift baskets. Does that affect the canning time, or can I process them with the half-pint jars for 10 minutes?
Gina
Christine, I suggest processing them for 10 minutes. It's not so much about the product inside, but the rubber seal getting hot enough to soften and conform to the jar top. Be sure not to not over process time-wise, because your pepper rings will get super soft and mushy. (how do I know? - I got busy and forgot to turn them off after 10 min. once. They were fine but just extra soft). I love the gift idea!