Any chance you can post it without too much trouble?

I did find this over on the Hot Pepper forum ...it's a refrigerator pickle ... small amount: pint for me, pint for a friend ...

Cowboy Candy
A tasty concoction of sweet pickled jalapeño peppers!

4 c. sugar
4 c. vinegar
1/3 c. salt
1 ½ tsp. turmeric
1 ½ tsp. celery seed
1 ½ tsp. dry mustard

Mix all ingredients until dissolved. Slice jalapeños into nacho slice size or a little thicker and pack tightly into a glass jar. One pound usually fits into a quart. Heat some white vinegar to 160° and pour over the packed peppers and cover loosely.

Let stand at room temperature 1-3 days. Pour off the vinegar and replace with the refrigerator pickle recipe above. Cover and refrigerate.

In about 10 - 14 days you will be in Cowboy Candy heaven!

Do you see any problems with it ... like sitting at room temp 1-3 days? I'd probably put it in the fridge during the first acidification.
thanks, Kay

Annie called it "Cowboy Candy" but actually it's a Bread and Butter Jalapeno. I just modified an online recipe, so can't take any particular credit. I like the honey in the syrup and I really aim for about 50-50 red vs. green jalapenos, which makes for the prettiest pickle.

I almost never use distilled vinegar but in this case it's all about color - it makes a great holiday pickle. I thought about white wine but really the more assertive and neutral distilled works well here.

Bread and Butter Jalapeno Peppers

Categories: Canning & Preserving Pickles and Relishes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 pounds jalapeno chile peppers -- mixed red and green
2 pounds onions
hot red chili peppers -- dried, one per jar
7 1/2 cups white vinegar -- 5%
3 cups honey -- (24 ounces)
3 teaspoons powdered ginger
3 teaspoons mustard seed
3 teaspoons celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

Wash, top and seed jalapenos. Slice about 1/3" thick. (I like a bit thicker rather than thinner.) Clean, peel and slice onions thickly. Small boiler onions preferred.

Soak vegetables for an hour in cold water after slicing (this will help float out some of the seeds.) I soaked in separate bowls.

Put the remaining ingredients in a large pot and bring to a slow boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add jalapenos and onions and fresh red peppers if using instead of dried. Heat mixture to a simmer. Stir and turn mix for 10 minutes.

Pack peppers in canning jars with one red pepper per jar, leaving 1/2 inch head space.

Pour the hot sweet mix on the peppers, filling to 1/2 inch head space. Seal and immerse fully in a simmering hot water bath at 180F (not a roiling boil) for 10 minutes.

After cooling, age for 6 weeks in a dark cupboard.

Yield is 7-8 pints.

"Original Source: http://recipecircus.com/recipes/Trish/PICKLESandRELISHES/Bread_and_Butter_Jalapeno_Recipes.htm"

Carol

if I wanted to use sugar rather than honey.... would it be a l:l substitution? (have the jalapenos, but not the honey)
Kay

I know honey is more expensive and if you don't have it on hand sugar is definitely the more convenient option. But for me this recipe is as much about the honey as the peppers, so when you get a chance, you might try that too and see if the difference is worth it for you.

Carol

Just as a matter of curiousity, when sugar liquidifies, how much volume do you get? cup for cup? or is the sugar absorbed into the existing liquids with little or no volume gain?

Interesting question, though. If I run across an answer, I'll let you know. It must be less because of the crystalline structure of sugar. And I'm just remembering what happens to a cup of sugar when it's caramelized.

Carol

Kay

kay

I hope you enjoy those pickles. I didn't add pickle crisp the previous batches and we still loved them (especially DH) but next time I'm giving it a try. These are not especially hot, by the way, more like mildly warm. But the flavor is good. I've also found I like jals much better than cucumbers for relish; I use a sugar-vinegar brine and ground jals for that.

Carol

I've found a recipe for "Candied Jals" ... you know cook, let set overnight, drain, etc several times and I'm gonna try that too.

Kay

I was puzzled about the temperature you specified above 180 degrees .. simmer. I had put the jars in the rack over simmering water before lowering. I had a hard time getting the temp down to 180 and the water was sorta steaming, but not what I call a simmer.
My instant read said it was l0 or 15­ degrees over. So I'm afraid I made mush.

I had always thought you needed a rolling boil to process and a covered pot.

Is this what they call pastuerizing?

syrup tasted great.

kay

"Crack lines" on jalapenos are good, aren't they? "Corking"---sign of mature flavour and all that.

After all, good, mature cowboys have a few lines on 'em, so why not their candy? ;-p

Z

I like crunch but I've had somewhat softer homemade pickles and I have to say I don't find the texture bothersome. It's definitely not a deal-breaker.

I think I arrived at the conclusion that (depending of course upon the recipe and method) it's one of the features that sometimes distinguishes homemade from commercial. And it's quite different from a mushy pickle that's the result of poor product or improper fermentation.

Carol

Now that's what I'm talkin' about! ;-)

Z