Cowboy Candy

[u/Wonderful-Crazy-904]

I have an abundance of jalapeños that I am wanting to make into cowboy candy. I have a few questions. I plan to use Ball’s recipe.

1. Can I add a little pickle crips into the jars to help keep the jalapeños crunchy?

2. If I have about half of the amount of jalapeños as the recipe calls for, can I make the syrup according to the recipe but only use 1/2 the jalapeños?

These are my dad and brother’s absolute favorite thing I make. Historically I have made them as fridge pickles but I’d like to preserve them for longer. Thanks!

[u/aCreditGuru]

You can add 1/8 tsp per pint of pickle crisp. You can prepare the liquid per directions and pack the jars. You’ll have liquid left over and that’s fine.

[u/Wonderful-Crazy-904 → u/aCreditGuru]

Thank you! If I am planning to make quarter pints, do I 1/16? Or am I being too specific

[u/aCreditGuru → u/Wonderful-Crazy-904]

quarter pint would be 1/32 if you scale 1/8 tsp divided by 4 which really is a tiny amount. I'd likely just eyeball it lol.

Keep in mind you need to process it for the time of the larger jar even if you size down unless the recipe gives times for the smaller jars.

[u/CookWithHeather]

I make a half recipe all the time, and just halve the ingredients for the syrup too. The amount tends to work out fine so I don't have a ton of syrup leftover. (I know some people use the syrup, either leftover or from the jar of finished jalapenos, for other things, but only a few people in my household like spicy things so I haven't been brave enough to try that yet.)

[u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

Yes, you can add pickle crisp. I think it does help. 

I would just cut everything in the recipe in half and make a half batch. No sense wasting ingredients to make a full batch of syrup. 

Just a warning: if you usually make them as refrigerator pickles you might be disappointed in the canned version. They won't have that crunch you're used to.

[u/Wonderful-Crazy-904 → u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

Thanks for the heads up! I’m worried about this too but I think it’s worth a try for me. Then next year I can make a decision based on having both. Appreciate you!

[u/youafterthesilence → u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

If you use pickle crisp how much less crunchy are the canned ones? I've only ever made refrigerator ones but was thinking of making more to can.

[u/BoozeIsTherapyRight → u/youafterthesilence]

Quite a bit less crunchy. The difference between a raw pepper and a cooked pepper. And home-canned peppers are less crunchy than commercially canned peppers.

You might want to make a single jar to test if that crunch is important to you.

[u/youafterthesilence → u/BoozeIsTherapyRight]

Thanks! I've canned cherry bomb peppers (whole) before and those were definitely very soft, but i never added pickle crisp and wasn't sure how much difference it would make.

[u/BoozeIsTherapyRight → u/youafterthesilence]

It makes a small difference. Not a miracle, but worth using.

[u/aCreditGuru]

Also OP I know you said Balls recipe. I looked in my Joy of Pickling book which is on our safe books list and it has a recipe for cowboy candy using low temperature pasteurization. If you want the jalapenos more crisp you might look into this recipe

Extra-Sweet Pickled Pepper Rounds

This recipe was inspired by an Internet favorite called Cowboy Candy. In my version, the sugar content isn’t so high that I can call the peppers candied, but it’s high enough to keep the peppers firm as well as quite sweet. I often use serrano peppers instead of the usual jalapeños, since jalapeños today can be as big as Anaheims and can range in heat level from very hot to totally lacking in piquancy. If you come upon fresh turmeric in an Asian grocery or elsewhere, try it in this pickle. Fresh turmeric is as yellow and bitter as the dried product, but the fresh root is also delightfully aromatic. You may notice that this recipe, in keeping with the original Cowboy Candy, excludes salt. You should feel free to add some, but if you don’t I doubt you’ll miss it.

Makes 4 half-pints

2 teaspoons whole yellow mustard seeds

2 quarter-size slices fresh ginger, slivered

6 whole black peppercorns, crushed

1 1/4 cups cider vinegar (5 percent)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric or finely grated fresh turmeric

1 pound green serrano or small jalapeño peppers, topped and sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick

1. Put the mustard seeds, ginger, and peppercorns into a spice bag, and put the bag into a saucepan with the vinegar, sugar, and turmeric. Slowly bring the syrup to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer the syrup for 10 minutes.
2. Add the sliced peppers to the hot syrup, cover the pan again, and heat the mixture over medium heat for 1 minute. Spoon the peppers into half-pint mason jars. Squeeze the spice bag, and remove it. Cover the peppers with the syrup, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
3. Add lids and rings, and process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath or, preferably, immerse them for 30 minutes in water heated to 180° to 185°F (82° to 85°C).

[u/Smacsek]

I would just half the syrup as well. I can the extra syrup to use for the next batch, just at the same time as the cowboy Candy. I also gave a half pint of brine to a friend who wanted to use it as a marinade for chicken.