I love summer when the living is easy…gardening, grilling, and maybe a little light canning. I’m not about putting up quarts of tomatoes (although you should see how many plants we put in), but love tinkering with small batches of something special. Cowboy Candy Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers fit the bill & bonus…they go right in the fridge and don’t have to be “processed.” (But you can “can” them if you wish.)
Cowboy Candy Sweet & Hot Pickled Peppers
This Cowboy Candy came about from buying jalapenos at Aldi. You can’t buy one or two…nope, nope, nope, ya gotta buy a package of a dozen. Since I hate waste, I planned to roast, peel, deseed, and freeze when I had an “aha” moment. I would pickle those babies.
About Cowboy Candy Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers:
I was thinking about my Homemade Pickled Jalapenos when I made an about-face and decided on “Cowboy Candy” aka Sweet Hot Jalapenos or Candied Jalapenos.
So yet again, my food ADD (make this, no make that, well, maybe I’ll pin it…three hours later, no food for dinner but 7 gazillion recipes pinned) took over. Before you know it, I was venturing deep into Texas territory.
These are the perfect balance of sweet & heat and insanely good. While a homemade version of almost anything is better than a store-bought one, these definitely are. Still not convinced to make your own? Take a gander (have I channeled my inner Texan or what?) at the prices on Amazon.
A small batch (one jar) of Cowboy Candy is quick, inexpensive, and so good you’ll want it all the time! It’s easy to double or triple using the recipe calculator, but do the math for larger batches.
The Peppers:
I use the traditional jalapenos and a red jalapeno or a little red bell pepper to make them “pretty.” Or about as pretty as army green can be!
The sugary syrup helps to tame the heat. Still, a hot pepper is a hot pepper! Mike over at Chili Pepper Madness has a Scoville Scale that ranks chile pepper heat, in case you’d like to adapt this for other peppers or a mixture and want to know what you’re getting yourself into.
Cowboy Candy Sweet & Hot Pickled Peppers
Making Cowboy Candy Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers:
Some precautions: when making Cowboy Candy, especially if you’re sensitive, wear gloves, a mask, and have good ventilation. The fumes from the peppers and vinegar will take your breath away. If not using gloves, alcohol wipes, or soaking in milk can help remove the pepper’s oil from your hands.
The recipe is easy, but here are some deets for first-timers. This is a refrigerator pickle and makes one jar (about 12 ounces). No need to process them in a hot water bath since they are popped into the fridge.
You can increase the recipe and process them in a hot water bath. They’ll be shelf-stable, so they can be stored (before opening) in the pantry. For canning details, check a reliable site like Ball Canning or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
To make, simmer the peppers for a few minutes in a mixture of sugar and water, then remove and strain the liquid. Reduce the liquid to a syrupy consistency. I think the word “syrup” is confusing to some; it shouldn’t be thick like a pancake syrup, but more along the lines of a simple syrup. There should be a glossy shine to it. (See more, below.)
When you’re making a small batch like this, you are very likely to have some extra syrup, and after the Cowboy Candy is gone, there will be some super-hot syrup left in the jar. Read on for suggestions to use the Cowboy Candy and syrup.
Jalapenos & Red Peppers – I usually remove the centers if they are large and most of the seeds.
A Few More Hints:
- For safety, when making a refrigerator pickle, don’t add the lid until the peppers have cooled to room temp. Only then add the lid and refrigerate.
- As the sugar works on the peppers, they’ll shrivel. After a week or two, they’ll plump back up. You’re supposed to wait for two weeks; I can never wait that long!
- Remove the hard centers from the larger jalapeno slices and the seeds with them (as much as is easily possible – no need to be heroic.) When the sliced peppers cook, a lot of the seeds will fall out and sink to the bottom. Remove the jalapenos with a slotted spoon, leaving the seeds behind. Any floaters will mostly fall back into the pan with the syrup. A few seeds left in with the jalapenos aren’t an issue. Strain the syrup before reducing.
About the Syrup Viscosity:
Due to quite a few questions and comments, mostly on Pinterest, I’m expanding this section (April 2026). Sugar Syrups classifications are as follows, although in this case, vinegar replaces the water:
- Light Syrup is a ratio of 1:2, one part sugar to 2 parts water.
- Simple Syrup is a ratio of 1:1, equal parts sugar to water.
- Heavy Syrup is a ratio of 2:1; two parts sugar to 1 part water. (Think of fruit, like peaches, in heavy syrup.)
This recipe for Cowboy Candy Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers starts out with a ratio of 1:1.5, one part sugar to 1 1/2 parts vinegar, which is 2 cups sugar to 3 cups vinegar. It’s lighter than Simple Syrup and heavier than Light Syrup.
After the Jalapenos are simmered in the sugar/vinegar mixture, they are placed in a jar, and the mixture is strained to remove any seeds. It’s brought back up to a simmer and reduced by about a third, to roughly the consistency of simple syrup.
As long as there is enough liquid left to cover the jalapenos in the jar, the liquid can be reduced more if desired. It all comes down to personal taste, so feel free to experiment with more or less sugar or reducing more. Doing either will make both the jalapenos and the syrup sweeter and denser.
I’m gonna take you back to grade school, learning about osmosis. Cowboy Candy is a great example of it at work. In essence, the sugar, being hygroscopic, will draw liquid from the jalapenos, and of course, the syrup with more sugar will have just a bit more body.
I have tried to show the consistency of the syrup in the photos, but it’s hard to tell, I know. As you can see, the syrup is glossy.
Varying the recipe:
Additions can be a little garlic, turmeric, cayenne, and/or mustard seed. That’s up to you. It def gives the Cowboy Candy a more pickly taste. That’s my new word pickly – you heard it here first, folks!
For one jar, about two cloves of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne, and somewhere around 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seed will get you in the ballpark.
Cowboy Candy Sweet & Hot Pickled Peppers on on Crackers with Cream Cheese.
How to Serve Cowboy Candy Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers:
Cowboy Candy is excellent anywhere you’d use Refrigerator Pickled Jalapenos. Try Cowboy Candy on crackers or bagels with cream cheese (it tames the heat.) My Candied Pickled Jalapeno Chicken Salad is a fun recipe.
Add Cowboy Candy to items like Macaroni Salad, and they give a kick to Tuna Salad or a plainer chicken salad recipe, like this Copycat Costco Chicken Salad. Try them in Tuna Macaroni Salad! That’s a mix-up to be happy about! Why not use them in a cornbread like my Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread? They’ll spice it up for sure!
Serve these on top of burgers, hot dogs, or pizza, or use them in a dip, maybe this Smoky Jalapeno Bacon Dip or Guacamole. A fave open-faced sandwich: layer some cream cheese, avocado & chicken on bread and top with Cowboy Candy. Photo below.
Dice them up to top your deviled eggs – and a little of the syrup in them. This Famous Dave’s Cornbread has a jalapeno glaze. Try it with diced-up Cowboy Candy and glaze with the syrup.
What’s your favorite way to use your Cowboy Candy?
What to do with Leftover Syrup:
Toss it in a bottle and use it as a hot sauce. Add to a cocktail, maybe a margarita, possibly a Bloody Mary. Add to adult popsicles – especially good with pineapple. Don’t use too much or you may not get a good freeze.
A splash of barbecue sauce will give it a kick. Add the syrup to any dish that relies on sweet/spicy flavors. Sprinkle it on pizza. Add to a ham glaze. Baste your chicken wings with it. Use it in your Candied Nuts for some heat. If you pickle hard-boiled eggs, add in some of this syrup.
Add pectin and can for a clear jalapeno jelly. Consult a reliable source like Ball Canning or the National Center for Home Food Preservation for instructions.
Deviled Eggs with Cowboy Candy
Saving Money on Cowboy Candy Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers:
- The best pricing for jalapenos I’ve ever found is at Aldi or Lidl. Jalapenos are cheapest in season, late summer to early fall. Check with a farm or farmers’ market. Grow your own.
- Basic vinegar is always on sale before Easter. Stock up for the year.
Have you tried Cowboy Candy? And if so, what’s your fave way to use the peppers and any leftover syrup? Do tell!
Mollie
Cowboy Candy Sweet & Hot Pickled Peppers
cowboy candy sweet hot pickled peppers
Sweet, spicy and simple, these are made in minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 25 minutes plus chill
- Yield: 1 12 ounce jar 1x
- Category: condiments
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Notes: This is a “refrigerator” not a “canned” Candied Jalapeno. Consult a reliable site like Ball or the Center for Food Preservation for instructions. The longer these sit in the refrigerator, suggested two weeks, the better they get.
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 pounds fresh green jalapeños, washed and sliced into 1/4 to 3/8th inch rings, hard centers removed
- 1 red jalapeno or 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into a small dice
Instructions
In a small, deep saucepan, add sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Standing back (so as not to inhale the fumes), add the peppers and bring back to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and stir now and then, cooking for about 4 minutes, or until peppers have lost their bright green color.
Remove from heat and with a slotted spoon, place the peppers in a very clean 12 ounce jar.
Strain the seeds from the syrup and discard the seeds. Return the syrup to the heat and bring back to a boil for about five minutes or until reduced by a third. Pour the hot liquid over the jalapenos. The jalapenos will float at first, but after a few hours will distribute throughout the jar.
Let cool to room temperature, then cover, and store in the refrigerator. Any leftover syrup (and there will be some) can be saved for another use.
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I’ll be Cowboy Candy Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers at Fiesta Friday, hosted by Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.
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