Cowboy Candy

Cowboy Candy is the perfect little bite of sweet and spicy. Once you try it, you will want to have a jar on hand at all times!

Cowboy Candy is the perfect little bite of sweet and spicy. Once you try it, you will want to have a jar on hand at all times! #jalapenos

Yeehaw! Hold on to your britches, y'all, because I have a new recipe that is going to knock your socks off. Don't forget to grab some brew to wet your whistle when you eat these jokers. They are sweeter than honey, but hotter than noon on the 4th of July!

Hahaha, I'll stop it with the cowboy slang now.

In all seriousness, this cowboy candy, aka candied jalapeños are sweet, spicy, and utterly irresistible. They are ridiculously easy to make! The hardest part is slicing the jalapeños. Once you try them, you will want to have a jar of these on hand at all times!

And yes, before you ask, it is jalapeños in the pictures. I grew them in my back yard and let them turn red before picking. Green jalapeños are totally good for making this recipe, too! ;)

Cowboy Candy is the perfect little bite of sweet and spicy. Once you try it, you will want to have a jar on hand at all times! #jalapenos

WHAT IS COWBOY CANDY?

Cowboy Candy is a fun name for candied jalapeños. The definition of candying is to cook, preserve, saturate, or coat with sugar or syrup. This recipe simmers jalapeños in a sugar, water, and vinegar mixture that makes yields sweet and spicy jalapeño rings.

HOW TO MAKE CANDIED JALAPEÑOS

To make candied jalapeños, aka cowboy candy, simmer thinly sliced fresh jalapeño rings in sugar, water, vinegar mixture that is seasoned with celery salt, turmeric, salt, and garlic powder. See below for detailed recipe instructions.

Cowboy Candy is the perfect little bite of sweet and spicy. Once you try it, you will want to have a jar on hand at all times! #jalapenos

HOW TO EAT COWBOY CANDY

Cowboy candy is a versatile treat! Some popular ways to serve cowboy candy is on crackers smeared with cream cheese. Some other great ideas include serving over baked brie, on salads, on a burger or hot dog, or even right out of the jar!

IS THIS A CANNING RECIPE?

Nope! This recipe is for refrigerator cowboy candy. You can store these in the refrigerator for several months, though I doubt they will last that long!

MORE TASTY JALAPEÑO RECIPES

Looking for more ways to use jalapeños in your cooking. Check out these popular recipes from the archives that feature jalapeño peppers!

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers Jalapeño Cheddar Pigs in a Blanket Pickled Jalapeño Peppers Roasted Jalapeño Hummus




If you try this Cowboy Candy recipe, I'd love to know what you think in the comments below! Enjoy!

1 half pint jar

Cowboy Candy


Cowboy Candy is the perfect little bite of sweet and spicy. Once you try it, you will want to have a jar on hand at all times!

  prep time: cook time: total time: 25 MIN 

INGREDIENTS


15 jalapeños
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon tumeric


INSTRUCTIONS


1. Trim off the stems of the jalapeños and thinly slice.

2. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to come to room temperature. When cooled, transfer to a jar or glass container, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.


NOTES


Before you ask, it is jalapeños in the pictures. I grew them in my back yard and let them turn red before picking. Green jalapeños are totally good for making this recipe, too! ;)

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Cowboy Candy is the perfect little bite of sweet and spicy. Once you try it, you will want to have a jar on hand at all times! #jalapenos

13 comments

  1. What is the taste/heat difference between red & green jalapenos?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The jalapenos that stay on the plant until they're red are a tiny bit sweeter than if you pick them when they are green. I personally don't notice a difference in the heat level, but the red ones are supposed to be spicier!

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  2. Can you can these to make them last longer?

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  3. water bath for about 10 minutes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for this as I would like to preserve these by the canning method.

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    2. Can you put candies jalapenos in plastic holders

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  4. Is this recipe for a pint or what amount?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would like to know this as well. Thanks for asking!!

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  5. Someone gave me a whole bag of orange habaneros I didn’t know what they were so I tried one. They’re really not hot like I would think and habanero would be. I wonder if I could make cowboy candy with him

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    Replies
    1. I've combined the 2 peppers together so I don't see why not. I've also add pineapple and that's our favorite!

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  6. Is this supposed to be a liquid at the end or more of a jam consistency? I thought it would thicken in the fridge but it has not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It should be slightly thickened after reducing for 15 minutes. It won't be thick like pancake syrup, but it should be slightly more syrupy than water.

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  7. I found this very liquidy …..I thought it would thicken some….I even added a couple tbsp liquid pectin, but it it too watery to use on a cracker…..Not sure how to use this .

    ReplyDelete