The Best Cowboy Candy to Home Can
Come learn how to can candied jalapeños otherwise known as cowboy candy. They are sweet, spicy, tangy and can be used for a variety of things.
If you have ever grown jalapeños in your garden, you know that they are a great producer and you can only do so much with fresh jalapeños. Making cowboy candy is a great way to preserve your jalapeños in a shelf stable way. You might be surprised just how versatile they are once you make them and start using them.
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Cowboy candy is a spicy snack with a bit of a sweet and tangy twist. Depending on the varieties of jalapeños you grow, your cowboy candy might be quite spicy, or it could be more mellow. We like to grow a few varieties that are a bit more mild, such as tam jalapeños and nadapenos because we don’t love super hot spice.
If you buy your peppers from the farmer’s market, they are most likely a regular heat jalapeño, but make sure you ask the farmer.
Looking for ways to use up your candied jalapeños?
- Make a simple appetizer and eat with cream cheese and crackers
- Use as a substitute for fresh jalapeños in this Jalapeño Popper Dip from Ruthann Zimmerman
- Add to a beef or pork roast for some mild spice
- Make this amazing Cowboy Candy BBQ Sauce
Size of Jar
You want to use small jars for this recipe, a pint being the largest size to can. I like to make most of my cowboy candy in 1/2 pint jars. That is the perfect size for us to use before it goes bad and also a good size for gift giving.
How to Make Cowboy Candy
This is a pickled recipe with the vinegar so it makes it a high acid recipe. So that means it is a water bath or steam canner recipe. No pressure canner needed.
Make sure you get your clean jars, lids, and rings ready along with your canner set up in a clean kitchen before starting the process of chopping the peppers.
This is a simple canning recipe. If you have not done very much canning before, this is a good place to start.
If you do not have 3 pounds of jalapeños, you can half the recipe. Likewise, you can also double it with no issues.
When canning, I like to make sure I have everything out and ready before I do anything. That way I am don’t realize in the middle of the recipe that I am out of something important.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh jalapeño peppers, washed and sliced
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar 95% (acidity)
- 6 cups organic granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 3 teaspoons granulated garlic
Step by Step How to Make Cowboy Candy
- Make sure your jars are ready and hot.
- Slice the jalapeño – use gloves and a mandolin to make your life easier. You can slice with a knife, just make sure to use disposable gloves for the heat that usually doesn’t show up until later on.
- In a large pot that will hold all of the ingredients (preferably a heavy bottomed one that won’t scorch easily), add the ACV, sugar, turmeric, celery seed, and garlic. Bring the ingredients to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for another five minutes.
- Next, add the sliced jalapeño peppers to the liquid in the pot. Let the jalapeños simmer another five minutes. Watch out for the vapor coming off the pot – it is potent with the peppers and will burn your eyes if you are not careful.
- After cooking for five minutes, remove the peppers with a slotted spoon to fill the jars. You will want to fill the jars full, stuffing the peppers down. They will shrink in the canner.
- After removing the peppers, the brine will still be in the pot. Continue boiling it for another five minutes.
- Then pour the brine over the jars of peppers. Remove any air bubbles.
- Wipe the rims clean, put on lids and rings.
- Process in a water bath or steam canner for 15 minutes. Adjust time if needed for any altitudes above 1,001 feet in elevation.
- Once the time is up, remove the jars to a towel on the counter to cool for 12-24 hours. Test that the jars sealed after that time. If you have any that did not, you can place in the fridge.
Tips
- I would recommend using gloves for handling the jalapeño peppers. They may not seem hot when handling them, but you might regret it later on. Ask me how I know!
- For cutting the jalapeño, use a sharp knife or a mandolin. The mandolin will make easy work of it. I have never used a food processor, but you could try that too.
- If you have leftover brine, do not toss it. It is great for so many things. I usually can it up in a small 1/2 pint jar and then use it later on to marinate meat or cook with a pot roast. Or the best way to use it up is to make Cowboy Candy BBQ Sauce.
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