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Candied Jalapeño Relish

A sweet and spicy jalapeño relish condiment to add to burgers, hot dogs, tacos, or to make into dips
Servings: 3 pints

Equipment

  • food processor
  • saucepan
  • glass canning jars
  • water bath canner
  • new canning lids
  • jar lifters
  • funnel optional

Ingredients

  • 14 cups fresh jalapeño peppers red or green
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • a pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Make the Jalapeño Relish and Syrup
  • Wash and dry the peppers and destem. Then roughly chop the peppers and place them in the food processor. Remove all or some of the seeds and pith to make your cowboy candy relish less spicy if you wish.
  • Process the sliced peppers until the pieces are finely chopped and no large slices remain.
  • Combine the apple cider vinegar, sugar, turmeric powder, garlic powder, and pinch of salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir the syrup until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
  • Add the minced jalapeños to the pot and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

Canning Cowboy Candy Relish

  • While the jalapeños are cooking in the syrup, get your water-bath canner ready and bring the water up to a boil.
  • Prepare your jars, making sure they are completely clean and free of cracks and defects. Prepare your canning lids.
  • Heat the canning jars by placing them in the water to warm up.
  • Once the relish is ready to be packed, remove the jars and dump all the water back into the canner.
  • Place the hot jars on a clean kitchen towel and put a canning funnel on top of the first jar to help keep things tidy. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out jalapeños and divide the peppers up as evenly as possible into the jars.
  • Ladle the hot syrup into each jar leaving a 1/4-inch headspace.
  • Debubble the jars. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel and again with a dry paper towel to make sure the rims are clean and able to seal properly.
  • Place a canning lid on each jar and screw the ring on until it is finger-tight. Then lower the jars into the water bath, cover with a lid and bring the water to a roiling boil.
  • Once the water is boiling, set a timer for 15 minutes if using pint jars, or 10 minutes if using smaller jars.
  • When the jars have finished being in the boiling water bath, remove each jar carefully and place on a kitchen towel on the counter. Leave them alone for 12 hours without touching.
  • After 12 hours, remove the rings and check the seal of each jar. Label and date your jars.