Growing up I remember all the great food my mom would make. She would roll out tortillas in the morning for breakfast, which we devoured with butter. The stove had pans of scrambled eggs with chorizo, beans, fried potatoes. We ate good, no doubt about it. The one thing she always bought though were the pickled jalapeños. That’s the one thing that was bought and not made at home, that’s what we were used to.

It wasn’t until I started working at as a cook that I realized that these peppers can be made at home, it just never dawned on me until then. The first recipe came out just ok, but I was excited to make them. After a few months I changed it a bit and still they weren’t great, but I was happy just to make them. Now after a few years I have this recipe and I Love result. If you rather have a crispy crunchy pepper this recipe might disappoint. The peppers are soft and melt in your mouth. Maybe a little later I will post another recipe that will include a crispy pepper.

Use any pepper you want from jalapeños, serranos, habanero, sweet banana peppers. Any fresh pepper will do. you can even season them any way you like. So many possibilities and of course they are very versatile.

This recipe will give you a different approach to pickling them. I will sauté them until the skin blisters, making them easier to peel. I will be peeling the skin off these peppers. peeling them is not necessary, it’s just a preference, also if removing the seeds is your thing, do it.

Let’s get started.

You will need:

1 lb. serrano peppers

1 small onion sliced

2 small carrots sliced

1 clove garlic sliced

1 cup vinegar

1 1/2 cups water

1 tbsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 cup oil

1-quart sized wide mouth mason jar

Use a large sauté pan to blister the peppers and sauté the onions and carrots. Turn your stove on to medium hi heat and heat up the pan, add the oil and place the peppers in gently. There will be some splattering almost immediately so be careful. This step should go quick, try not to let them burn, you just want them soft with a blistered skin. take the peppers out when done.

Add the carrots and let them cook for about 1 minute, then add the onions. Cook them together for 1 more minute and take off the heat. In a medium saucepan add water, vinegar and salt. Let it come up to a slow boil and remove from the heat.

Peel the serranos, it should be easy to do after they cool down. At this point you can remove the seeds and cut them in long strips, it just depends on you.

Once you have them peeled, in a quart sized jar with a wide mouth, layer the carrots, onions and peppers. Also add the oregano, garlic and black pepper. after laying all the ingredients add the liquid brine and close the jar with a lid.

Let cool down then transfer to the refrigerator for at least a day. These peppers are ready an hour after it cools but they are even better after a few days. Eat them as a side to any meal. They quickly become the main attraction. Experiment with different peppers, seasonings, herbs and how they are prepared. Change it to fit you.

This is just one of a few recipes that I have posted. I have no experience creating content but here I am doing what I love to do and sharing with others. I hope to get better as I go. Please enjoy.