Growing your jalapeno peppers is a great way to save money and ensure that you have fresh produce. Jalapeños are easy to grow and can be grown in most climates. If you’re looking for some ideas on what to do with all of those fresh jalapenos, here are a few things you can do with jalapeno peppers from your garden:
Sell Some at The Local Market
The farmer’s market is a great place to sell your jalapenos, especially if you live in an area with lots of local growers and farmers. If there isn’t a farmer’s market nearby, set up your roadside stand or table outside your home.
You can also try selling them to the grocery store owner, who may be interested in buying them from you on a regular basis. However, this might not work if there are already existing jalapeno suppliers. If none of these options are viable for you, consider selling online.
Give Some Away
If you’re looking for something to do with your jalapeno peppers, the first thing to consider is giving them away. You can send some home to your friends and family. They’ll love it.
You can also donate some to your local food bank, homeless shelter, or other charity. This is a great way to give back. You may even want to package up some jalapenos as gifts during particular seasons, such as Christmas or Halloween.
Dehydration
Dehydrating peppers ensures you can use them in a variety of ways. Although drying pepper will take considerable time, you can get your jalapenos fried at around 135-145°F until they are nice and crisp. Then store them in a mason jar, vacuum-sealed jar, or closed freezer container.
When you want to use them in recipes, you soak them in boiling water until they become rehydrated. There are a number of ways to dehydrate your pepper, but an oven works best. Set the oven temperature to the lowest with your peppers on an oven rack placed for 6-10 hours until completely dry.
Freezing
Freezing is the easiest way to preserve your jalapeno peppers. Unlike freezing green beans or sweet corn, you don’t have to blanch jalapeno peppers before freezing them. Wash and dry them to remove any dirt. Then place them in a sealable freezer bag and store them in your freezer until you are ready to use them later.
Pickling
When pickling jalapenos, you have a couple of options. You can either use a vinegar solution or a brine solution. A cold pickle will stay in your refrigerator for about two months, and a hot pickle will last for up to six months.
To make a cold or hot pickle, you must first prepare the peppers by removing the stems and cutting them lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Then place them in jars with some garlic cloves if desired, and cover with boiling water or brine solution. Then, seal tightly, cool quickly, and refrigerate immediately.
You can add sugar or spices like black peppercorns if desired while preparing your ingredients before they go into their respective jars.
Canning
Canning is a great way to preserve food, and jalapeno peppers are no exception. It’s easy, safe, and reliable. The canning jars are reusable, and you can do it at home.
One recipe to use in preserving your jalapeños is what is commonly called Cowboy Candy. Sliced jalapeños are cooked in sweet syrup and processed in a hot water bath canner. The finished product looks like large green candy pieces. You can then use the Cowboy Candy as a condiment for sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and more.
Poppers
Jalapeno poppers are a great appetizer for parties and gatherings. They’re easy to make in advance and can be frozen, so you have plenty of time to prepare for the party.
The peppers are stuffed with cream cheese and cheddar cheese, then breaded and baked until golden brown. You can use any kind of jalapenos from your garden. Still, we recommend a combination of hot and mild peppers for flavor variety.
Roasted Jalapenos
If you have too many jalapenos from your garden to use immediately, you can also roast them. This is a great way to hold onto your harvest and add roasted peppers to various recipes later. You can add roasted jalapenos to soups, salads, sandwiches, and even egg dishes like deviled eggs.
Add to Salsa
Making fresh homemade salsa is one of the most delicious ways to use up a jalapeño harvest. You want to start with ripe fruits and vegetables. The fresher they are when you pick them, the better your salsa will taste.
Moreover, you can use all parts of this spicy pepper, ensuring no need to toss out those seeds. They add lots of flavors but aren’t as spicy as other parts of the jalapeño pepper.
Sauces
One of the best things you can do with jalapeños is make sauces that can be used in many ways. Sauces are great for burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and nachos. It also makes an excellent addition to soups and stews. You can add it to chicken wings for an extra kick or use it as a dip for chips or vegetables. Hot sauce recipes use multiple jalapeños, giving you even more opportunities to use up your extras.
Relish
Relish is a great condiment made by cooking vegetables and spices together. You can make your relish by chopping up tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cucumbers into small pieces. If you have leftover jalapeno peppers from the garden, you can also add those to the mix.
When it’s time to cook this mixture of vegetables and spices, put them in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat with one whole bay leaf and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Cook until all the vegetables are soft, which should take about 5 minutes or so. Then, blend until smooth using an immersion blender or food processor. Use as a topping for burgers, hot dogs, and pizza.
Create a Jalapeno Paste
Your jalapeno peppers are perfect for creating a spicy paste. Cut them in half, remove some seeds, and put them in a food processor with olive oil and salt to taste. Once the paste is ready, you can use it in a variety of ways:
- As a meat rub to give your extra meat flavor before cooking
- In sandwiches or as a spread of bread for an extra kick of heat
- To add heat to soups, stews, and sauces (use sparingly)
- As an ingredient in dips for vegetables
Conclusion
Jalapenos are a great way to add spice and flavor to your meals. They’re versatile ingredients that can be used in many dishes. Above are a couple of the most popular ways to use them, but there are many more. Try experimenting with new recipes or adding them to what you already cook at home.
