quick pickled jalapeños

About three or four years ago, Whitney laughingly asked me one night, “Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”

I was so surprised that it took me a minute to process his question and reassure him that no, I was not pregnant.

But what prompted his query?  The fact that I had gone from a casual jalapeño eater to finishing 3 jars in the course of a month.  I was planning entire meals around them, eating them as after-dinner snacks, and taking them in a ziplock to have with my lunch at work.

While I’ve slowed down on my pickled jalapeño intake, I still really enjoy them.  And once you see how easy (and cheap!) it is to make them at home, you’ll want to keep a jar in your fridge all the time.

There’s so many more uses for pickled jalapeños than just as nacho toppings.  Serve them with scrambled eggs, on sandwiches and burgers, in baked potatoes, with roasted chicken — any dish that needs a little kick.

Or be like me and just eat them out of the jar.

Quick Pickled Jalapeños

1 c water
1 c white vinegar
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly smashed
10 jalapeños, sliced

Put the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and garlic in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.  Add the jalapeños and immediately turn the heat off.  Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes, until the jalapeños start to lose their bright green color.  Fill a jar with the jalapeños then cover them with the pickling liquid.  Store in refrigerator for up to a month.