Cool off with hot jalapeno pickles
If you’re of a certain age, you may remember a time when along with chips and salsa, you also got free corn tortillas, pats of butter and hot pickle relish served to you at your local Tex-Mex restaurant.
You’d see this in classic Dallas places such as El Fenix or El Chico, and in Houston establishments such as Molina’s. The hot pickle relish, also known as escabeche, was made up of jalapenos, carrots and cauliflower and it was tart, fiery, crunchy and yes, very refreshing.
There’s been a lot of bad news about jalapenos lately, namely those from Mexico. And while I’m glad they pinpointed the source of the salmonella, it didn’t give me much confidence in buying jalapenos at the grocery store, especially when their origin was unknown.
Earlier in the summer I bought a jalapeno plant and it produced two tiny peppers, until it started shedding all of its leaves working its way toward a slow death. I have since nursed it back to health and it now has a few blossoms, which if all goes well could mean more jalapenos. Very local and very fresh! But my one plant isn’t enough to keep me satisfied.
I eat a lot of jalapenos so I am pleased they are now in season and I can find them in abundance at my local farmer’s market. Last weekend, one of the Union Square farmers had a gorgeous display of jalapenos and serranos and I went nuts, buying over a pound. I also picked up some cauliflower, carrots, onions and garlic and because my refrigerator can only hold so much, decided that I should make some pickles.
I made my first batch of pickles last summer and for these pickled jalapenos I pretty much followed the same technique, except I briefly cooked my vegetables before placing them in the jars and adding the brine. They also didn’t take a week to marinate—by the next day they were already tangy and juicy—ready to be added to nachos, placed on a cheeseburger or just nibbled on their own.
It’s a shame you don’t see hot pickled jalapeno relish in Tex-Mex restaurants more often, especially since its piquancy really wakes up your appetite. But thanks to the bounty of the season, I now have enough pints to last me—for at least a couple of weeks.
Pickled jalapenos (escabeche)
Ingredients
- 1 pound jalapeños, cut into rings
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into rings
- 1 small onion, cut into rings or slivers
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 6 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 teaspoons peppercorns
- 6 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 6 sprigs cilantro
- 2 1/2 cups white vinegar
- Water
- Six sterilized pint jars
Instructions
- In a skillet, cook the peppers, carrots, cauliflower, and onion in the oil on medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until onion is clear and vegetables are softened.
- In each jar, place the equivalent of 1 teaspoon minced clove, 1 sprig of cilantro, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.
- Divide pepper mix between the jars. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to each jar and then fill the rest of the jar with water, leaving 1/2 inch at the top. Add a dash of salt. Seal and then give jar a good shake.
- Refrigerate overnight and they should be ready within 24 hours. Will keep in the refrigerator for a month.
When I was a kid I used to love sitting down with a jar of pickled jalapenos and a box of saltines, and just eat one cracker after another with a slice of jalapeno on top. I've never tried making my own. I like the ones that are really crisp and retain the flavor of jalapenos. Mrs Renfro's is a commercial brand that's pretty good… there's another brand that I can't recall, that comes in tall narrow bottles, and are packed with carrots and garlic and cauliflower.
If you're going to grow your own let me recommend Texas A&M Mild Jalapenos II. You can get them in nurseries around Dallas, or in seed form, from which they grow really easily. The TAM I Jalapenos are a little smaller and don't yield as many chiles, but they're also good. They have jalapeno taste, but the hotness is the approximately warm-poblano range. They're great on salads where ordinary jalapenos would be too domineering. You can pluck them off the plant and eat them raw (except, every once in a while you'll get one that's ordinary jalapeno strength and have to run grab a glass of water to cool down).
Oh wow. You mentioned El Fenix AND Molina’s? You really do know your Tex-Mex. I love Molina’s cheese enchiladas! I know that totally wasn’t the focus of your post, but I’m ADD like that.
Question, do you have any tips for making candied jalapenos? I got a jar at Buc-cee’s outside of Houston a few weeks ago and they are amazing. They taste like bread and butter pickles, but they’re jalapenos and SPICY. Any ideas? 🙂
There’s a Michoacan-style restaurant in Centralia, WA (La Tarasca) that doesn’t serve chips, but serves home-made carrots en escabeche. Really fine comida, too. Sopa de albondigas, etc.
I’m a Texan in NYC too. I am visiting my family for the weekend and made my traditional visit to Ninfa’s on Navigation (straight from the airport!). I LOVE those carrots so much! In an online search for the recipe I came across your site. Yum!