Pho-Spiced Candied Jalapeños

On pickling day in culinary school, we were tasked with coming up with a creative pickle combination. On this day, we focused primarily on quick pickles or pickles that are made with a salty, flavorful brine. You can infuse a lot of flavors by sticking them into the brine as it boils on the stovetop. I’d recommend experimenting with different flavors that come dried spices, fresh herbs, or aromatics. For this class, I decided to make a batch of candied jalapeños that are spiced with pho flavors.

Pho is one of the world’s greatest soups. Usually, when they serve pho in restaurants you are given a plate of jalapeños, Thai basil, bean sprouts, and lime in order to customize your soup. It may seem like a tiring process but I love taking the time to build every single bite before slurping it up. What sets pho apart from other Asian soups is the heavy use of sweet spices like star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and black cardamon; some of which are present in the pickle brine here.

You’ll notice that this recipe calls for a lot of sugar; more sugar than required to make a basic quick pickle. I wanted to make something that borderlines a candied jalapeño. So if you don’t like bread and butter pickles or pickles that have a touch of sweetness, you can remove the sugar all together.

Ingredients for the Pho-Spiced Candied Jalapeños

• 8 jalapeños

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar

• 1/2 granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 3 cloves

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 10 black peppercorns

• 6 peeled garlic cloves*

• 2, 1/4-inch slices of ginger

Makes 1 quart jar of pickles

Directions for the Pho-Spiced Candied Jalapeños

1. Slice the jalapeños into thick 1/4-inch rings. Prepare the garlic and ginger. Place all of the fresh ingredients into a sanitized quart jar.

2. In a small sauce pan, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices up to a boil over high heat. Allow the salt and sugar to dissolve. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Pour the hot brine over the jalapeños. Cover and place into the fridge for one day before eating. The pickled jalapeños will last for one month in the fridge.

*Note: the garlic may turn a blue-green color as it ages in the vinegar-based brine. Do not worry, as long as there is no mold present or it doesn’t smell rotten, it is completely safe to eat. In fact, there is a tradition of Chinese pickling that creates blue garlic as a condiment.