My canning apparatus arrived yesterday from Amazon. I’ve never canned anything before, but I do like the idea of a bountiful garden harvest lasting us through the winter, should I ever have a bountiful garden harvest. My little 4 x 20 garden plot doesn’t yield much but I hope to have a bigger garden someday.
So you might be wondering why I bought all this NOW when I don’t yet have a bountiful garden harvest? I need to send my brother some cowboy candy. I shared a few blog posts ago that I harvested my jalapeno peppers (about a pound) and wanted to try cowboy candy, also known as candied jalapenos. They turned out AMAZING. HOT, as I left in the seeds and membrane, but so deliciously amazing.
I was chatting with my older brother who lives out west and shares my love for jalapenos. To my surprise, for living in both Texas and Arizona, he’d never heard of cowboy candy. He is always sending me beef jerky he makes in his smoker so I wanted to send him a jar of this delicious concoction. The problem? They need to be refrigerated, or canned, if left at room temp. I had made two jars that were sitting in my fridge but did not want to chance mailing him a jar when they needed to be kept cold. I did not yet have the canning equipment.
I researched what I needed and thought I could just use the pot I had, but it’s not deep enough to submerge the jars. Plus I’d need the jar “forceps” so I don’t boil my fingers getting them out of the water bath. So, I found this kit with this HUGE pot, a rack for the jars to sit on, and some tools. The jars were separate.
So I’ll likely do it up this weekend. Wish me luck. I will make them without the seeds and membranes this time, as my brother said, “make them how YOU like them”. I can imagine how awesome they would be on a burger, and I’ll been scarfing them on rice crackers with cream cheese. I’ve even affectionately named the syrup they marinate in, Satan’s hellfire sauce. I will definitely be planting more jalapenos next spring.
Have you ever made cowboy candy? If yes, how did you serve it? What other ways would they be good?
Never heard of cowboy candy.
I hadn’t either, until this year! Jalapeno poppers are awesome too, but I love the idea of canning the cowboy candy and giving it away as gifts (if I don’t eat them all!)
Cowboy Candy! Haha! I would have imagined that to be beef jerky. Your version sounds much hotter. Good luck with the project!
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Yes! I would think cowboys would have been more likely to carry around beef jerky than a jar of candied peppers!
I’m not brave enough to tackle the real canning procedures. I blanch and freeE veggies if there is too much to eat at once. My husband likes to fill the fridge with cheery peppers he grows, cores and brings them.he is now in the process of stuffing them with prosciutto and provolone and jar them I’m in oil for the holidays.
Good luck with your cowboy candy.
This was really probably not a necessary purchase with my small garden plot, but I SO want to sent my brother these goodies. I figure knowing how to can is not a bad skill to have. And OMG! We have a bakery that sells Hungarian wax peppers stuffed with provolone and prosciutto! I haven’t tried them but I be they are amazing!