Candied Jalapeños

5.0

(5)

5 Reviews

Turn spicy jalapenos into a sweet and tangy topping spiced with a ginger, coriander, and garlic-infused syrup.

Nicole Hopper

Published on May 16, 2024

Tested by

Melissa Gray

Cowboy Candy — Photo:
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Active Time:

45 mins

Chill Time:

2 days

Total Time:

2 days 1 hr 45 mins

Servings:

Yield:

2 cups

Spicy, sweet and tangy, cowboy candy is just another name for candied jalapeños. Red and green chiles are cooked in a spiced syrup of ginger, coriander, allspice and vinegar resulting in a jalapeno that’s reminiscent of sweet pepper jelly. Serve cowboy candy over a block of cream cheese as a fun appetizer, or alongside a wedge of brie or goat cheese on your cheese board.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cowboy candy spicy?

Jalapenos are spicy peppers, though the range of spiciness can vary greatly from pepper to pepper depending on how they were grown.
Why is it called Cowboy Candy?

Legend has it that Cowboy Candy originated at the WHH Ranch by a 7-year-old named Mindie Heironimus who pickled and canned homegrown jalapeños with sugar and spices. It’s unclear why they’re called Cowboy Candy other than that’s what the family called them!

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Don’t panic if your jalapeños aren’t submerged in the syrup when you first add them to the saucepan. As the jalapeños cook, keep stirring often to coat each slice in the syrup and they will shrink and soften. In the end, there will be plenty of syrup to fully cover the jalapeños in the jar. Also, the jalapenos will look fairly shriveled up when you first transfer them to the jar, but as they sit, they will plump back up.

Make ahead

Cowboy Candy can be refrigerated for up to two months.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon pickling salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/16 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound mixed green and red jalapeño chiles (16 to 20 total), stemmed, unseeded, and sliced 1/4-in. thick (about 5 cups)

Directions

Bring vinegar, sugars, salt, ginger, garlic, coriander, turmeric, and allspice to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugars have fully dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in sliced chiles (they will not be fully submerged). Return mixture to a boil over medium-high. Cook, stirring often, until chiles are glossy, softened, slightly shrunken, and darkened by a shade, 5 to 6 minutes.
Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chiles to a cleaned and sanitized 1-pint (2-cup) canning jar, lightly tapping jar on counter or pressing chiles to fit in jar.
Return remaining syrup to a boil over high; cook, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup, about 8 minutes.
Pour syrup over chiles in jar, leaving 1/4-inch headspace; discard any remaining syrup. Seal jar with lid. Cool slightly at room temperature, about 1 hour; refrigerate at least 48 hours or up to 2 months before serving.