Do I have to boil vinegar for pickling?

You certainly don't have to boil the vinegar or brine when pickling, but doing so offers tasty benefits. First, a warm pickling liquid will permeate the vegetables better. Especially if you also briefly boil the vegetables before combining. Warm ingredients speed up the pickling process, and you'll be enjoying tangy, sweet, crispy goodness sooner. Second, boiling the brine ingredients allows the salt and sugar to dissolve nicely into the liquids. It also releases volatile oils from any herbs and spices. And this creates deeper flavors that would otherwise remain untapped.

How long do pickled jalapeños last?

If you are after immediate enjoyment of your pickled peppers, cool the warm peppers to room temperature first, then refrigerate. You can keep any pickled vegetable chilled for up to a month. At the first sign of any mold or bad smell, discard. If you choose to properly can and store your pickled jalapeños according to safety guidelines , the jalapeños will last for up to a year on the shelf. Once you open a jar, be sure to keep it refrigerated.

What are the best vegetables to pickle?

The real answer is any vegetables that you enjoy! On a basic level, vegetables that take nicely to the tart flavors of a pickling liquid or brine are sturdier vegetables with either a natural sweetness, spiciness, or pungent characteristics. Think root vegetables, chilis, or alliums like onions, garlic, and shallots.

How to Quick Pickle Jalapeños Or Any Vegetable

Ingredients

Scale

4-8 whole jalapeños
2-6 peeled garlic cloves, optional
2 tablespoons each whole mustard seed, whole fennel seed, peppercorns, or allspice berries, optional
1½ cups of water
1½ cups of white, white wine, rice, or apple cider vinegar
1½ cups of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of kosher salt

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Instructions

Cut or slice the jalapeños (or other vegetables) to your liking. Pepper slices that are about a quarter of an inch thick work well for quick pickling.
For a milder pickled jalapeño, boil the peppers for two minutes. Drain and place in your jars or bowl.
If you plan to store the jalapeños or vegetables in jars, place as many whole jalapeños or slices as will snugly fit in each one. Three to four average-size whole jalapeños should fit in one pint-size mason jar. If you are slicing your chilis, you may need fewer jars. Or you can place the jalapeños in a heat-proof bowl.
Evenly distribute any peeled, whole garlic cloves or whole spices to the jars or add them to the bowl.
In a medium pot, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt just to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.
Pour the warm pickling solution into the jars or in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or screw the lids onto the jars.
Cool the pickled vegetables to room temperature. Then serve, or store them in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.

Notes

On Jars

You can use any heat-proof jar or container you have on hand if you are not planning to preserve the pickled vegetables. Or more simply for pickles being served the same day, use a mixing bowl as your marinating vessel.

On Slicing

Pickling whole chilis is a simple and quick way to add flavor. But when pickling whole jalapeños, the chilis need a few days soaking in the liquid to soften and deepen in flavor. For a batch of pickled jalapeños that is ready to enjoy the same day, slice your peppers into thin strips or rounds.

On Serving & Storing

The pickled jalapeños can be served within a few hours (once cooled), but if you let them linger in the refrigerator they'll get tastier with time. If you plan to preserve your pickled jalapeños, be sure to follow proper canning protocol to ensure your batches are safe for consumption and don't harbor clostridium botulinum bacteria that causes botulism. As part of my food safety training, I studied botulism in-depth. It's a terrifying disease that comes on quickly. And a few jars of pickles are not worth the risk.

On Nutrition Information

The Nutrition Information below is based on the recipe as written, using 12 whole jalapeños. It also assumes you are consuming one-twelfth of the pickling liquid with each pepper. So unless you drink the brine, you will consume less sugar and salt than is listed.

Author: Chef Christina
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Recipes
Method: Boiling
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegan

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 pickled jalapeño
Calories: 172
Sugar: 38.5 g
Sodium: 470.7 mg
Fat: 0.7 g
Carbohydrates: 40.6 g
Protein: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: how to quick pickle vegetables, pickling recipe, pickling liquid ratio