Garlic: I love garlic and the taste that it imparts in this easy pickled jalapeños recipe. However, if you don’t have garlic on hand, or simply aren’t a fan of garlic and would prefer to leave it out, feel free to do so.

Distilled White Vinegar: I used distilled white vinegar, but you may also use white wine vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you prefer.

Sugar: Note that the sugar is to regulate the heat level and make it less hot. I used granulated white sugar, but you can also use light brown sugar if you prefer. Just bear in mind that brown sugar will make the liquid a darker brown. If you are diabetic or insulin resistant, I highly recommend using Lakanto monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that has zero glycemic index). 

Salt: I used regular table salt, but you can use sea salt or kosher salt too if you prefer.

Don’t Touch the Seeds with Bare Hands: Make sure you don’t touch the jalapeño seeds with your bare hands of they can get really hot. It’s best to use gloves of a fork to hold the jalapeño peppers down while you slice down. If not using gloves, make sure NOT to rub your eyes with your fingers after cutting them or they might sting.

Heat Level: You can adjust the heat level depending on how much heat you like and can tolerate. If you don’t want that much heat, use 4 tablespoons of sugar instead of 2, and if you like it really hot, you can even go down to 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Barely adapted from: Simply Scratch

This recipe was originally published in August 2020, but has since been updated to include ingredient photos, step-by-step images, ingredient notes and substitutions, as well as clearer instructions.