Description
Sweet, spicy, sticky, and bursting with bold Texas flavor! These Cowboy Candy Pickles combine crunchy cucumber slices with jalapeños in a delicious sweet-and-tangy brine. Every bite brings the perfect balance of sweetness, heat, and crunch!
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups cucumber slices
- 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
- ½ cup white vinegar (5% acidity)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Wash the cucumbers and slice them into thick rounds. Thinly slice the jalapeños. Wear gloves when handling hot peppers.
- Fill the jar: Place the cucumber slices, jalapeños, and garlic into a clean heat-safe glass jar.
- Make the cowboy candy brine: In a saucepan, combine apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pickling salt, mustard seeds, peppercorns, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika.
- Heat the mixture: Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugars and salt dissolve.
- Add the flavor: Carefully pour the warm sweet-and-spicy brine over the cucumbers and jalapeños until fully covered.
- Cool and refrigerate: Let the jar cool, close it, and refrigerate promptly.
- Let the flavors develop: Refrigerate for at least 24–48 hours before serving. The sweet, spicy flavor gets even better as the ingredients mingle!