I'm on a pickled craze lately so I'm re-posting these Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots. Have you tried these yet?!
These beauties work wonders on tacos, tostadas, eggs, even sandwiches, and there's also a good chance you'll find yourself munching on the pickled carrots throughout the day.
The quick pickling technique is so simple and you can apply it to loads of other veggies. There are 9 recipes on the site that use this technique -- I'll list them all at the bottom of this post or you can always type "pickled" into this recipe search box.
Please give these a go if you're new to them, I think their little burst of acidity will brighten up any dish (or kitchen) 🙂
How To Make Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots
This recipe will make enough to fill a quart-sized Mason jar to the brim with pure zip -- you can also use two pint-sized jars if you want.
Note: these instructions are not designed for long term canning.
Please consider the following ingredient pic a reference point only. The veggies and vinegar are doing most of the heavy lifting, so if you don't have all the spices on hand go ahead and make them anyway; most likely you'll be happy with the results.
Start by giving the jalapenos a good rinse and peeling the carrots, cutting both into 1/4 inch sized coins.
It's always best to use caution when handling hot chili peppers, and that includes jalapenos! A final hand washing is usually enough for me, but some peeps with sensitive skin may prefer gloves. More info on working with hot chiles.
Saute a sliced onion and 4-6 roughly chopped garlic cloves in a glug of oil over medium heat.
As this the onion softens you'll have time to gather the dry ingredients.
So in the above pic you've got:
8-10 cracked black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 bay leaf (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano What is Mexican oregano?
I usually give the spices a quick crush in the molcajete and then briefly saute them before adding the jalapenos, but this is optional. And if like me you're frequently out of bay leaves then just skip it, as I've made this recipe without a bay leaf dozens of times and it still turns out awesome.
Add the jalapenos and carrots to the saucepan.
Along with the spices if you haven't added them yet.
Saute briefly and then add:
1.5 cups of white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Kosher or sea salt
Note that Kosher or pure sea salt are most commonly used for pickling. The additives in iodized salt will sometimes affect the brine so it isn't recommended.
Let this simmer for a few minutes or until the jalapenos turn army green.
Once the jalapenos are changing color you can load up the jars. Glass jars work best for this vinegar-based brine so I always default to Mason jars.
Each jar gets loaded with the jalapeno-carrot mixture and filled to the brim with the brine.
You should have plenty of brine but if you run out you can always top them off with a splash of water.
I usually let the jars cool on the counter a bit before capping and storing in the fridge.
You can take a taste now and you'll get a good preview of their final flavor, but the jalapenos won't be fully pickled until they rest in the brine overnight.
And the next day you'll have some serious zippppp!
They're so good and they act as the perfect final garnish on your tacos, tostadas, sandwiches, etc.
These pickled jalapenos will keep in the fridge for a month or so, after which you can take the afternoon off of work to make a new batch. Priorities right?
And if you like these Pickled Jalapenos then you can use this quick pickling technique to make any of these:
Extra Hot Pickled Jalapenos with Habaneros
Buen Provecho!
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Taqueria Style Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots
Ingredients
- 8-10 jalapenos
- 2 carrots
- 1 small onion
- 4-6 cloves of garlic
- olive oil
- 1.5 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon salt (Kosher or sea salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 8-10 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
Instructions
- Give the jalapenos a rinse and then cut into 1/4 inch slices. Peel the carrots and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
- Peel and quarter the onion, chopping into thin slices. Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
- Heat a glug of oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes.
- Add the spices: 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 8-10 black peppercorns. I usually give the spices a quick crush in the molcajete but this is optional. And feel free to use powdered spices if you don't have seeds or peppercorns on hand.
- Add the jalapenos and carrots. Briefly saute and then add 1.5 cups white vinegar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt, and 1 bay leaf (optional). Simmer until the jalapenos are just turning army green in color.
- Fill two pint-sized Mason jars with the veggies and fill to the brim with the vinegar mixture. You can also use a single quart-sized Mason jar. You can give them a taste test now for a preview, but they won't have full flavor until they rest overnight in the brine.
- I usually let the jars cool on the counter for a bit, then cap and store in the fridge where they will keep for weeks at a time.
Notes
You can easily modify the above recipe to make a tiny jar of Pickled Serranos:
And here's an easy way to make some Pickled Onions.
Or you can use a similar technique to make some Pickled Tomatillos.
Still hungry?!
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Shellie
We have made 2 batches of this. One with some seeds left in and hubs said it was HOT but he loved it! Second batch we made sure we got all the seeds and ribs and it made a much milder catch. He seriously cannot stop eating them. This is a great recipe! Next batch we will leave out the carrots, he says they just take up space, haha.
Patrick
Ha awesome, if it seems like the carrots are hogging space from the jalapenos that's a good sign!
William Price
Hope you get this soon. First let me say I haven't made them yet my question to you is this. Me and daughter love pickled jalapeños so I would make a gallon or two they will be eaten before a month is up. I would like to make them whole and crunchy with all the flavor would I have to do it defrent?
Patrick
Hi William! If you want to make them whole and crunchy I would probably just add the whole jalapenos in at the end of the simmer but do everything else the same. Cooking the jalapenos will soften them up a little bit so if you limit the amount of time they're in the pan you should get plenty of crunch.
I've never made them like that and they might not take on as much flavor compared to chopping them up and letting them simmer, but I think you'll still be happy with the result.
Hope this helps a bit!
Brenda
Making this for my hubby now. Can't wait to see how he likes it!
Patrick
Hi Brenda, I'm a huge fan of these pickled jalapenos -- I hope they turned out well for you!
CdP
Thanks so much for this recipe - it is exactly what I have been looking for! I like my carrots A little al dente, so I added them a little later so that they didn’t cook quite so long. I added some of the cooked jalapeños and some fresh radish slices to a separate jar and topped it off with my left over brine (I doubled the brine) and they are delicious as well!
5 stars for sure!
Patrick
Thanks much for your feedback and notes CdP -- makes me want to try adding in some radishes to my next batch! Cheers.
Mary
Is it ok to pickle jalapenos in just vinegar & oil, maybe water?
Patrick
Hi Mary, I've tried something similar to this before. Instead of cooking them off with onion/garlic and adding spices, I simply chopped up some jalapenos and let them rest in a vinegar/water mixture. And while they did have a pickled flavor, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in them. They seemed to lack the punch of the original recipe.
So yes, you can give them a quick pickle in some vinegar and water, but I think a 'flavored' batch is far superior. Hope that helps a bit!
Nathan
Made this exactly as you have said and it was great. I am looking to ramp up the heat a bit though. Do you think adding some Serranos and habaneros alog with the jalepenos would work the same with this recipe. Probably take out 3-4 jalepenos and add 3-4 each of habaneros and serranos and keep the liquid ratios the same? Have you done anything like this before?
Patrick
Hey Nathan, sorry for the delay in getting back to you!
First of all...there are very few individuals on Earth who eat straight jalapenos and find themselves seeking out more heat. For this, you can be very proud 🙂
I've never amped up the heat on these before but your habanero idea is probably the quickest way to get there. But don't worry about substituting -- I would keep all of the jalapenos and simply add a couple habaneros. Habaneros are lethal and I would think that having 1-2 in each jar would be plenty --
as it 'marinates' overnight the heat from the habanero should add additional zing to the jalapenos and carrots.
Regarding the serranos, yes they are slightly hotter than the jalapenos but I don't think it would be enough of an increase in heat for you, so I would first try it with the Habaneros.
I hope this helps a bit. If you give it a try let me know how it goes as I'm kind curious about it now. Cheers.
Nathan
Hey Patrick,
Thanks for the reply. I have actually made 3 batches now. I think I got it perfect for my taste. I do everything exactly the same as you have your recipe except for a minor change up in the chiles.
The ratio that I like best is 10 Jalepenos and 8 habaneros. I cut the habaneros much thinner. for me the Jalepenos are a great flavor and the habaneros just add a little extra punch. I'd reccomend trying it. It isn't as spicy as it sounds. Also makes for an incredible "Juice" that my wife and I will put on top of just about anything even if we don't want to eat the peppers.
I've had coworkers try this recipe and love it. Yes, it is spicy, but not near as much as you would think. They flavor is great as well. Thanks again for the recipe.
Patrick
Awesome jalapeno trip report Nathan!
It sounds like a good combo but I have to admit I'm a little surprised that 8 habaneros didn't turn it nuclear -- maybe the vinegar tempers them a little bit. I'll have to try a batch like that soon...
Thanks much for your note it's super helpful for other peeps out there seeking a little more spice!!
Susan
Nathan- I have swapped out the peppers with different kinds, and it was a major hit in our house! I've done Serrano and habanero (by themselves without jalapeno).
Great recipe all around, Patrick!
Deborah
I see you you mentioned on pizza, which I was going to suggest. The jalapenos taste incrediable drained of brine and stored in olive oil. Pizza without them will not be the same.
Also the oil can be used in cooking. It may be too hot for some.
Patrick
Hola Deborah! Wow that's a great idea, I rarely use flavored oils but might try it with these pickled jalapenos.
Could also use the oil in this pizza as we are already adding a thin layer of garlic oil to prevent dryness. Thanks much for the inspiration!!
Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Pizza
Patrick
Annalisa
Probably another note worth adding is that if you're one of those people who likes a little zip and not a lot of zip, removing some or all of the seeds from the jalapeños will help a lot. We only like the carrots in my household--although my husband will eventually eat the rest--so I've been looking for a recipe that minimizes "the other stuff." Will definitely be trying your recipe tomorrow after I get back from the market with an onion.
Patrick
Yup good point Annalisa, thanks much for mentioning this!
Patrick
Bernetta
Just finished making 1/2 recipe and there was not enough brine to cover. Other than that they are delicious!
Patrick
Hi Bernetta, I think it's okay to top off the pint jars with a bit of water if some of the brine has burned off during the saute. That's assuming you are eating them over the next few weeks and not doing long term canning.
Thanks much for the feedback, it's very helpful. I'll make a 1/2 recipe to confirm the liquid amounts. Cheers 🙂
Monty
You should be able to figure out if you need to add brine while it is on the stove. If it is not covering the veggies in the pot it will not cover them in the jars.
I had to double the brine mix, but I used very large carrots and jalapenos.
C D Humpherys
This looks yummy, wondering about home canning this for winter use. Would you still precook your veggies, and what about a processing time...thanks
Patrick
Hi CD,
I have never preserved them for such an extended period of time so I can't offer firsthand advice. But here are some links that have some good info and it looks like most canners would default to not cooking the veggies before tucking them away for the winter. Hope that helps. Cheers 🙂
http://jalapenomadness.com/preserve_jalapenos_canning.html#.V5qyY_krI_4
http://www.canningacrossamerica.com/recipes/pickled-jalapeno-peppers/
Rdf
Check hot water bath canning for long term canning storage.
M Cortney Daniels
This recipe says specifically NOT FOR CANNING. However, I made some modifications & canned them using a boiling water bath.
1. Cut all your veggies, as described. I actually added a few random sweet peppers from our garden, too. You can toss them altogether in a big bowl, once prepared. DO NOT COOK ANY OF YOUR VEGGIES!
2. Fill your canning pot with water, bring to a boil, & drop your canning jars, lids, & rings into the water to sterilize. Use jar tongs to immerse & remove the jars. You can drop the lids & rings in & remove them with regular tongs. Set them aside in a clean, dry area to keep them from getting contaminated.
3. You'll use this same canning pot to actually can your Jalapenos & other veggies, so be sure your canning bath has enough water in it still to cover your jars. If not, add more water & bring to a low boil.
4. Prepare a vinegar brine using the same proportion of vinegar to water & add your spices. Bring these to a boil, & then turn the heat down to a simmer.
5. Using a canning funnel, spoon the mixed veggies into your jars, leaving at least a 1/2" headspace at the top. You can tamp down the veggies into each jar.
6. Using a ladle & the same canning funnel, pour the vinegar brine into each jar until your jars are full to 1/2" at the top. Be sure to ladle down to the bottom to pick up some of the spices--otherwise they will have sunk to the bottom of your brine solution & will be left for the last jar!
7. Carefully, using gloves, place a lid onto the jar & tighten a locking ring over it. You don't have to tighten it so much you can't open it again. Just enough so that it's a tight seal.
8. Using canning tongs, place your filled jars into the boiling water bath & boil for 15 minutes.
9. Remove your jars with canning tongs & set them somewhere to cool.
10. Listen for the lids to "pop." That means that the seal is good. This could take from minutes to several hours. But once your jars are cooled completely, you can check the lids. They should be completely flat. If you see a tiny bulge in the center once the jars are cooled, then that jar didn't seal correctly, & you should discard it--or just eat it immediately!
11. The recipe, as stated, is perfect for 2 pints. I made 6 pints, so I tripled the amount of everything, & I had nothing left over.
Patrick
Thanks much for these canning notes as many peeps have asked about this! There's also some good info here for anyone interested in long term canning:
https://www.freshpreserving.com/canning-guide-pdfs.html