Cowboy Candy

I grew up in a home where canning defined the year from late July through early October.  We canned everything we couldn't freeze!  Between the two mode of preservation, the list was long: cherries, peas, lima beans, green beans, tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, raspberries, blackberries, dill pickles, sweet pickles, pickle relish, chou chou pickle, giardia, we even canned salmon, and froze grape juice (and made our own wine).  I didn't eat store bought pickles or relish until I left home for college.  Now, I only occasionally dust off my canning chops.  Like today.

Today I made Cowboy Candy or Sweet Pickled Jalapeno Peppers.  I have to admit, I am pretty stoked about the results, too.  It's fairly simple to do.

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs Jalapeno Peppers
2 medium Yellow Onions
6 cups Organic Pure Cane Suger
2 cups Apple Cider
3 Tbsp granulated Garlic
1 tsp ground Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Tumeric
1/2 tsp Celery seeds

1) remove the stem ends of the peppers and slice in 1/8 to 1/4 rings.  Cut onions in half top to bottom and slice into thin 1/2 rings.

2) Combine all the other ingredients and bring to boil stirring.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

3) Add Jalapenos and Onions and stir simmering for 4 minutes.  With slotted spoon stuff pint jars to 1/4 inch of rim.  When jars of done (I got 7 pints from mine) add syrup with a ladle but not all the way to the top (just to cover pepper/onion mix). 

4) Seal by boiling in a canner submerged for 15 minutes.  If they seal, they will pop.  (I have also assumed that you know for boil the jars and rings for 30 seconds to sterilize and the sealing lids should also be submerged in boiling water for a similar amount of time just before being placed over the jars and then seal with the rings.  Hand tight, NOT too tight.  If you've never canned before, I would highly recommend looking up a beginners video on google and watching it.  It's not difficult, but you do want to make sure the food is sanitized from bacteria.