If you’ve got an abundance of jalapeño peppers, this sweet and spicy mustard is a great way to preserve them. The recipe is very easy and, since the jars are processed in a canner, they store for ages. No canner? No problem!
After being given a sample of Jalapeño Mustard by a friend, we were mostly using it as a topping for burgers and sausage on a bun, but then I started thinking of other ways to enjoy it. I put some out as a dip for Sauerkraut Balls, and then served a small dish with Sausage Rolls to some company. After getting a unanimous two thumbs up, I knew I had to make a batch of my own. Thankfully she was happy to share the recipe. So I’m paying it forward.
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The original recipe calls for 50 jalapeño peppers. It makes a huge batch, so this recipe is a half batch, which yields about 8 half pint sized jars. That’s 8 oz or 250 ml, depending on where you live. By all means, feel free to make a double batch. And, if you make some little 4 oz, 125 ml jars, they’re the perfect size for small gifts.
Jalapeños come in various sizes. For this recipe, 25 medium sized peppers are about right. If you’ve got smaller or quite large ones, increase or decrease the amount accordingly. A kitchen scale is a handy thing if you have one. The approximate weight of 25 medium jalapeño peppers is about 1.5 pounds or 675 grams. Give or take.
Although jalapeños aren’t the hottest peppers, they still pack a punch. Keep that in mind when preparing them. If your hands are sensitive to heat you might want to wear food prep gloves. Just like when making Hot Pepper Jelly, try not to touch your face, rub your eyes or breath in the fumes.
The entire pepper, minus the stem, goes in a food processor and gets ground up fairly fine. Including the seeds. Some larger peppers have quite a bit of white membrane inside. If you slice the peppers lengthwise, then cut across in half, toss the bottom half in the food processor, then pull out the larger part of membrane from the top half before adding. This isn’t necessary but I found it was helpful to keep the mixture to mostly the green parts and seeds. And, if you prefer a less spicy mustard, go ahead and scrape out all the membrane and seeds which is where the majority of heat comes from.
Add the peppers to a large pot along with most of the other ingredients and let it come to a low boil for a few minutes to ensure the sugar is dissolved and the peppers have cooked slightly. Since the sugar can easily burn on the bottom, stir the mixture often.
Flour is used as a thickener in Jalapeño Mustard. Add it to some water and whisk well until all the lumps are gone. Then, pour it slowly into the pepper mixture and keep whisking until it’s completely mixed in. The mustard will immediately thicken. Keep stirring while it boils for a few more minutes, just to ensure the flour gets completely cooked.
It’s important to use clean equipment when canning. Make sure your jars are washed in hot soapy water and rinsed well. A dishwasher is a great way to sterilize jars too. Carefully fill each jar while the mustard is still hot. You can buy wide mouth funnels for canning which are really handy. Otherwise, just fill carefully. Wipe off the rim before adding the lids to make sure nothing interferes with the seal.
Always use new lids and seals when canning. Most manufacturers now don’t recommend heating the seals before adding. Just top each wiped jar with a new seal and ring. Once they’re all filled, add the jars to the rack of a canning pot without touching each other, then lower into boiling water and process for 10 minutes. Make sure the water level is high enough to completely cover the jars.
If you don’t have home canning equipment, you can still process the jars of Jalapeño Mustard using a large pot with enough water to cover the jars. Once it’s boiling, use tongs to lower a dish cloth into the bottom, then add the jars to the pot onto the dish cloth. This helps protect the bottom of the jars from being in full contact with the bottom of the pot. You’ll have to process your jars in batches so the pot isn’t overcrowded.
Cool the jars on a towel lined counter. You’ll hear the lids pop as they cool and the flat seals will be indented. That’s how you know you’ve got a good seal. If you’re concerned about any of the jars being sealed properly, just store those ones the refrigerator and use them first, or, give them as gifts and tell the recipient to store the mustard in the fridge.
Jalapeño Mustard is more than just a condiment. Try adding some to a charcuterie board. It’s great with pretzels, smoked meats and pickles. If you make some, consider leaving a comment, serving suggestion or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Equipment
- 1 Canner Pot or large pot with dishcloth in bottom
- Food Processor
- 8 Half pint jars with new seals and rings 125 ml or 8 oz jars
Ingredients
- 25 medium sized jalapeño peppers about 1.5 pounds
- 2 cups yellow mustard
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tsp pickling salt or course salt
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- Slice tops off jalapeño peppers, cut in half lengthwise and cut crosswise in half. If peppers are larger and have a lot of white membrane, remove some from the top half of the peppers if desired. Use gloves to protect hands if your skin is sensitive to heat. For a milder version, remove all membrane and seeds.
- Add peppers to food processor and chop until quite fine. Take care not to breath in the fumes.
- Add peppers to large pot, along with mustard, sugar, honey, vinegar and salt. Slowly bring to a low boil, stirring often. Boil for about 3 minutes.
- Whisk together flour and water until smooth. Carefully whisk into hot pepper mixture and continue to boil for about 3 more minutes until very thick and all flour is combined well. Stir continuously to prevent scorching on bottom of pot.
- Remove pot from heat. Carefully fill clean sterile jars, leaving about ¼ inch space at the top. Wipe rim to ensure no mustard is on jar rim which could interfere with the seal.
- Add new seals and rings to jars. Tighten lids gently without over tightening.
- Fill canner pot or other large pot with enough water to completely submerge jars. Bring to a boil.
- Add jars to canning rack and lower into canner pot. Process for 10 minutes. Remove to a towel lined counter to cool. Process jars in batches as necessary so they aren't crowded or touching in rack.
- Alternatively, instead of using a canner, use tongs to lay a dish cloth in the bottom of the pot. Carefully lower jars into pot on top of cloth to prevent contact with bottom of pot. Boil for 10 minutes, then cool on counter.
- Check lids for seals, hand tighten rings if necessary after cooling. Store in a cool dark place.
My family and I love this mustard. I’ve done some 4 oz jars and given them as gifts and gotten awesome feedback. Everyone who tries it loves it. I had some in the fridge right after I made it, and it was quite sweet. The one I opened a month later had more of the jalapeño flavor and was even better. This will be a staple in our pantry from now on!!
I’m so glad your family loved it! Thanks for getting in touch!!