From cucumbers to carrots, pickling is a great technique to use for your favorite vegetables. It’s not only a great way to preserve your produce, but it’s also a scrumptious way to add tartness and texture to any dish. As of recently, I’ve discovered that one of my favorite veggies to pickle are jalapeños! Below is a step by step process so you can make your own pickled jalapeños right at home. Enjoy!

1) Clean and Cut the Veg

First make sure the jalapeños are washed and clean. Then begin to cut the jalapeños thinly on a mandolin. If you want the veggies to be less spicy, slice the jalapeños as thin as possible, as the smaller the jalapeño slice, the less heat that will remain after it has been pickled. Set the sliced jalapeños aside.

2) Make the Pickling Liquid

Once the jalapeños are cut, start to make the liquid that will pickle the veggies. The first step is to toast the aromatics (1 T whole yellow mustard seeds, 1 T whole coriander seeds, 1 T whole cardamom, and 1 T whole star anise). To do this, add your spices to a dry sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once you start to smell the spices, take off the heat and set aside.

Next, in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, make a simple syrup by combining 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Once the sugar has dissolved completely, add 1 pint of champagne vinegar, 1 pint white wine, and 1 pint of water, as well as the toasted aromatics. Bring you pickling liquid to a boil. DO NOT REDUCE! As soon as the mixture starts to bubble, turn off the heat and strain out the spices.

3) Pickle the Veg

Pour the strained, hot pickling liquid over your jalapeños in a heat safe container. Cover the veggies and allow to steep for 20-30 minutes. Then store in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you prefer your jalapeños to be more pickled and less spicy, wait at least 24 hours to enjoy.