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Pickled Jalapeños

I love the spicy, vinegary punch of pickled jalapeño chiles. There’s no need to reserve these for nachos only; this pickle goes well with any Mexican- or Southwestern-inspired dish—and that includes burgers—that could use an acidic touch of heat. It’s simple to make your own, and I think you’ll find that the freshness of home-pickled jalapeños beats any jarred or canned supermarket version, hands down.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 15 pickled jalapeños

Ingredients

15

jalapeño chiles

2

cups red wine vinegar

2

cups white wine vinegar

2

tablespoons kosher salt

2

tablespoons sugar

1

/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1

/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1

/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1

/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1

/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a medium pan of salted water to a boil. Add the jalapeños to the water and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain well, pat dry with paper towels, and let cool slightly. Using a small paring knife, make a small slit in the center of each jalapeño and place in a small nonreactive bowl that has a tight-fitting lid.

    Step 2

    Combine the red and white wine vinegars, the salt, sugar, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds in a medium nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

    Step 3

    Pour the mixture over the jalapeños, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 1 week, stirring the mixture at least once during this time. Drain before serving, discarding the liquid and aromatics.

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