So of course I had to make my own batch the very next day. They’re so good! And oddly not as spicy as you would expect. Certainly not as hot as my regular jalapeño pickles. Just a little bit hot. Perky hot. And sweet and crunchy the way a bread and butter pickle should be.
Safe Handling of Hot Peppers
That said, the road to these pickled beauties was rather bumpy. Silly me, I thought given that I have been handling jalapeños my whole life I was immune to them and didn’t need to wear gloves when I stripped them of their flaming hot seeds and ribs. Hah! No I didn’t touch my eyes (thank God) but my hands were burning hot for several hours. Only soaking them in yogurt with ice cubes helped. My mistake? Washing my hands in hot soapy water before and during the processing of the peppers. This washed away the natural oils in the skin that protect the pores. The lesson learned? Wear gloves, or plastic baggies, when scraping the seeds out of the peppers. If you absolutely must use your bare hands, rub your hands with a little vegetable oil to protect your pores while working with the peppers. Then when you’re done, wash thoroughly in hot soapy water.
Ways to Enjoy These Sweet Pickled Jalapeños
Back to the sweet jalapeño pickles. They’re delightful. Please don’t let my tale of woe scare you away from making them. As long as you take precautions, you will be fine (don’t touch your eyes!) They’re delicious in a taco, on a burger, or as I love them, straight up out of the jar. They’ll easily last a year (or two) in the fridge. I find the heat of the chiles tends to mellow over time, so if they’re too hot when you first make them, just hide them in a corner of your refrigerator for a year and try them again. Wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water after handling the peppers. Do not touch your eyes for several hours. To heat the jars for canning, place the empty jars on a metal rack in a large, 16-quart canning pot. (Jars must rest on a rack in the pot, not on the bottom of the pot). Fill with warm water at least 1 inch above the jars and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to warm to keep the jars hot and ready for canning. If you are planning to eat the pickles right away and store them the whole time in the refrigerator, you can skip the water bath step. Wash the lids in hot, soapy water. Pack the jars evenly with the peppers and onions, up to about 1 inch from the top of the jars. Then pour the brine over the peppers, until it covers them. Leave about 1/2 inch headspace between the tops of the pickles and the rims of the jars. Return filled jars to the same canning pot with its already hot water. The water level needs to be at least 1 inch above the top of the jars. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 15 minutes. Remove jars from the pot using tongs or jar lifters. If you live over 1,000 feet above sea level, adjust your processing time using the directions here. Cover the jars and let cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator.
