Earthy Recipe- Cowboy Candy

Earthy Organic’s Cowboy Candy 

This recipe yields between 4 and 6 half pints.

• 3 pounds fresh firm, jalapeno peppers, washed
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 6 cups white granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Instructions

• Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers. To do this, slice a small disc off of the stem-end along with the stem. Discard the stems.
• Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.
• In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, granulated garlic, cayenne, turmeric and celery seed to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to boiling again, add the pepper slices, return to a hard boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers into clean, sterile canning jars. Fill to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar. Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.
• Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices. Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness. 
• Place jars in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When the timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Once fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth.
• Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. Enjoy them on tacos, with cheese and crackers, on top of pizza, or in sandwiches.