Have we achieved peak heat?

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By:  Keith Nunes

Food Business News 

Photo: Restaurant Brands International, Inc.

KANSAS CITY — McDonald’s introduction of its Sweet N’ Spicy honey barbecue chicken tenders as a limited-time offering (L.T.O.) to its U.S. menu this past August is an indication the spicy flavor trend has gone mainstream. Product developers have worked for years with a variety of spicy ingredients to create formulations with the right level of heat to achieve nationwide scale and appeal.
This is not the Chicago-based fast-food giant’s first foray into spicy flavor trends. In 2017, McDonald’s offered a sriracha variety of the Big Mac hamburger nationwide for a limited time. But the Sweet N’ Spicy chicken tenders kick the quick-service restaurant chain’s efforts up a notch.

McDonald’s is also not the only quick-service chain bringing heat to the masses. Burger King added two new spicy sandwiches to its menu in August. The jalapeno King sandwich features two hamburger patties, bacon, pepper jack cheese, jalapeños and a green chili aioli. The jalapeño chicken sandwich is the same but features a breaded chicken filet.
Not to be outdone, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Newport Beach, Calif., announced Sept. 10 its plans to reintroduce chorizo to its menu nationwide for a limited time. The spicy menu addition features a blend of pork and chicken seasoned with paprika, cumin and chipotle peppers.

“As part of our overall commitment to menu innovation and delivering the ‘craveable’ food our customers love, we’re spicing things up and bringing chorizo back to our menu,” said Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer for Chipotle Mexican Grill.
In the past, interest in spicy foods has been attributed to more adventurous consumers seeking new experiences. But the addition of spicy offerings, even for a limited time, on such menus of scale indicates something has changed.
Juliet Greene, corporate chef for Mizkan Americas, Mount Prospect, Ill., said what stands out about the recent introductions from McDonald’s and Burger King is the range of spiciness in the products. While McDonald’s is adding heat to the tenders, it is balancing the spiciness with the sweetness of honey. Burger King, on the other hand, appears to have gone all in, she said, with the combination of jalapeños, pepper jack cheese and green chili aioli.
“What’s definitely changed is the level of heat that is acceptable,” Ms. Greene said. “Both products add heat, but Burger King is really owning it. It shows how far consumers have come in the types of heat they want.”
The ingredient supplier Kalsec, Kalamazoo, Mich., has published its HeatSync spicy foods index for the past 10 years. The index was developed in partnership with Innova Market Insights to monitor the use of peppers, seasonings and condiments that contribute to the heat or pungency of a food or beverage.
Overall, the index shows a compound annual growth rate of over 20% since 2007, according to Kalsec, and more than 22,000 new hot and spicy products were introduced in 2017, rising from the 18,000 that were introduced in 2016.

More specifically, gochujang and sriracha both showed about 50% in growth in condiments and sauces, followed by mole, harissa and sambal, according to Kalsec. Peppers showing growth include peri peri, serrano, guajillo, Anaheim, pasilla and arbol.
As consumer interests have shifted toward more products perceived as clean label or natural, Ms. Greene said product developers are challenged to maintain a level of consistency in the spiciness of their products.
“The key is knowing the crop,” Ms. Greene said. “Jalapeños are hotter in dry weather, for example. I like to say they get agitated when it’s hot. You need to know that, and you need to know how much variance the client will accept. With peppers it can deviate 5%.”
She said layering flavor is one way to manage consistency issues.
“It’s a flow,” she said. “You can create layers of spice so it’s a nice build and not a level of heat that smacks you in the face all at once.”
As interest in spicy foods continues to grow, Ms. Greene said her customers are asking what the next chili or pepper will be that will drive additional interest.
“Everyone now knows what jalapeños are and what they do,” she said. “We are being asked about what’s new, is it serranos, poblanos, aji Amarillo? They want to know what else is out there that will let their products stand apart. They want a marketing story that will get people’s attention.”

Ms. Greene added that a potential area of opportunity for adding heat is beverages.
“When I have a margarita, I want a jalapeño in it,” she said. “And I want it in it, not floating on top. We’ve seen this trend with Bloody Mary bars as well.”
At the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual meeting and food expo, held this past July, Mizkan offered attendees a jalapeño Paloma shrub to demonstrate the use of spicy flavors in a beverage. Ms. Greene said she can see the trend moving into other categories, such as coffee and hot chocolate.
“I can definitely see someone doing an L.T.O.,” she said. “It’s a familiar format that adds a new twist; it’s something that can add adventure to a menu.”

Now is a good time to catch up on ‘Kidding’

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By Alexis Nedd

Mashable

musical number starring something called “The Pickle Nickel Choir.

Image: Erica Parise/SHOWTIME

There used to be a tier of celebrity that seemed unimpeachable. They were the icons, the people whose front-facing personas dovetailed so nicely with public opinion that everyone felt like they existed in a world apart from regular humans and loved them for it.

In the current era of social media and paparazzi surveillance, it’s hard for anyone to maintain that level of fame. People now know too much about celebrities to hold them on a pedestal, and in the 24-hour entertainment news cycle it sometimes feels like the world is just waiting for them to crack.
Kidding is about what happens when they do.

 

In Kidding, long-lost superstar Jim Carrey plays Jeff Pickles, a Mr. Rogers–type personality whose musical children’s television show is universally popular. So popular, in fact, that when Jeff’s car is stolen, the thieves frantically return and restore the vehicle once they see his name on the registration. Mr. Pickles is a true icon, one of those characters as beloved as Betty White and as unchanging as Big Bird.

Mr. Pickles is also a man in crisis. One year before the events of Kidding, one of his twin sons died in a car accident, leaving a wound in the center of his family. In the time between the accident and the show, Jeff’s wife separated from him, his living son turned against him, he moved from his family home to a dingy apartment, and his grieving process…well, it never really existed.

 

What follows in the first two episodes of Kidding, which are streaming on Showtime, is a darkly funny portrait about what happens when the world’s most famously cheery and empathetic man doesn’t have an outlet for his valid negative emotions. After introducing Jeff as a kind but somewhat ineffective character (his own son calls him a pussy, and the kid’s not wrong), Kidding then begins to expose the hairline cracks in his psyche — smash cuts to objects breaking imply that Jeff is unaware that he has begun lashing out in violent outbursts, and he demonstrates a terrifying lack of boundaries on multiple occasions.

Nothing good seems to lurk in Jeff Pickles’ future, and his descent into whatever madness awaits him is set to be the crux of the show.
Now is a good time to catch up on Kidding because the first two episodes do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of setting the plot in motion. Side stories about Jeff’s son Will pay off when the high school freshman finds his own, likely destructive way of dealing with his brother’s death. Jeff’s sister has a whole host of her own issues, from a daughter who exhibits signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to a husband who appears perfect and falls very short of his image.
Getting to know the characters and where they are in reaction to the accident is crucial in understanding the relationships that drive the show, and with half hour episodes watching the first two together is roughly the length of any single HBO dramedy. It’s better and clearer to take them as shot and chaser.
And of course, watching Kidding is a great excuse to see Jim Carrey again. Sure, he popped up in a few indie movies here and there, but he has largely retreated from the spotlight since his heyday in the 90s and early 00s. It’s easy to see what about Kidding drew Carrey back, even he hasn’t been on a TV show since In Living Color ended in 2001 — it’s the story of an icon who is forced to grapple with the worst parts of being a human.
There are elements of Jim Carrey in Jeff Pickles. He’s as rubber-faced and goofy as ever in some moments, but is also straight-backed and stiff with repressed emotion. The

weight of being Mr. Pickles feels physical on his exhausted-looking face, but he also delights in being able to be kind and change the lives of children. It’s an actor’s dream role, and one that could hardly be filled by someone who doesn’t already remind the audience of the character.

Kidding is filled with musical moments, sharp dialogue, and lovely character moments, but it most importantly contains a low-key type of emotional horror that can only get more present over the course of the season. Now’s the time to hop on the Mr. Pickles train and see where it lands Jeff and the rest of his family.

Pickle Flavor Is Overtaking Avocados As The Millennial Staple Food Trend

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By: Gene Kosowan

the talko

Pickle Flavor is the new  food trend

 

A generation that’s known to be fickle is finding satisfaction with a pickle. No kidding here folks, it seems everyone’s favorite vegetable that’s fine in brine has become the trendiest taste among millennials.
It makes sense, actually, strictly on color alone. The green hue not only won’t clash with the vegetation that the younger set craves more these days, but it’s also in lockstep with environmentalism, another trendy piece of subject matter. Or maybe it’s that salty and bitter element tempting the tastebuds that reaffirms that millennial lives will continue to be a slippery slope until those dastardly boomers finally retreat to the sidelines.

egardless of the reasons, there’s no shortage of pickle-inspired nosh items out there for those impressionable teeth to chomp on, such as Boom Chicka Pop’s pickle-flavored popcorn or 365’s dill pickle potato chips. Between bites, wash all that munchable greenery with Gordy’s Fine Brine or even Sonic’s pickle slushie.
And as proof that a blend of pickles and ice cream is no longer the exclusive domain of pregnant women, New York-based Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co. is selling scoops of the frozen dairy wonder with the tarty taste of that cucumber concoction. For those into spirits of the bottled sort, a few clubs in the city are offering pickle juice as mixers for the hard stuff, especially whiskey.

Meanwhile, up in Canada, food bloggers are offering ideas for making preserves that are requisite consumables during the hardy winter months. The biggest trend in this traditional food prep practice? Well besides, pickles, how about pickled fruit, as bloggers regale their viewers with tips on recipes on how to brine-up their favorite fruit from mangos to peaches.

Further down south, where folks like almost everything crispy, pickled fried chicken has been the rage over the summer, even with KFC offering a variation of its famous cooked poultry with a briny taste to them. Ditto for tacos. And while the motives for adding pickles may not be anywhere as political as millennial tastes, it turns out the technique of adding brine to a carnivorous dish has the same effect as citrus juice on fish. It tenderizes the meat and makes it more flavorful.

Preserve jalapeños now for chipotles, pickles and more heat all winter long

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By: Ari LeVaux, More

Southern Kitchen 

Jalapeños are a all time fav

 

Sriracha sauce, for example, is made from red, ripe jalapeños. Mexican escabeche, meanwhile, is a style of pickles made with carrots, herbs and green jalapeños.

Green jalapeños can also be roasted like a New Mexico green chile, and with comparable flavor. I’ve enjoyed roasted jalapeños dressed in butter and Maggi (a type of Mexican soy sauce) alongside the escabeche at the salsa bars that grace Mexican restaurants.

Back in the day, farmers would pick enough green jalapeños to enjoy fresh and bring to market, and at the end of the season the chile plants would be full of unpicked red jalapeños. Following an ancient practice, the farmers would leave these ripe peppers on the plant as long as possible, allowing them to shrivel and dehydrate, before smoking them to complete the dehydration process. These Aztec-style smoked red jalapeños are today known as chipotle peppers, and their sweet, smoky, earthy flavor is important in many dishes.

Meanwhile, jalapeños of both hues have taken off among Asian Americans. Sriracha sauce is as ubiquitous at American Vietnamese and Thai restaurants as ketchup is at a burger joint, and sliced green jalapeños garnish virtually every bowl of pho that is sold in America, while pickled jalapeños are a common fixture in American banh mi Vietnamese sandwiches.

In my general approach to dealing with the seasonal glut of my favorite pepper, I try to emulate the jalapeño farmers of Jalapa. When they are green, I enjoy the fresh jalapeños in my meals, and make pickles. When they turn red, I make chipotle.

My current preferred form of preserved green jalapeño is based on Vietnamese-style pickled jalapeño slices, a la banh mi. These pickled slices are an easy way to store jalapeños for later, and they are even easier to scoop onto everything, where they rightly belong.

Pickled Jalapeño Slices
Note: In order to properly trim the jalapeños, you must know how hot they are relative to your heat tolerance. If they’re not too hot you can leave the seeds and inner membranes in place. I brought a load of jalapeños home from the farmers market recently, and they were so hot I had to clean them carefully, then wash my hands with equal dedication.

Ingredients
Jalapeños
Vinegar (distilled or cider)
Salt
Sugar

Instructions
Begin by slicing off the stem end of the jalapeño. If the peppers are too hot, use the tip of a narrow knife to carve out the seed-bearing membranes. Slice the peppers crosswise as thinly as possible, and pack them into a sterile jar.
When all of your peppers are packed, add vinegar to each jar until it’s full, then pour the vinegar out of the jar(s) and into a sauce pan. Bring vinegar to a simmer on medium.
As it’s heating, add two teaspoons sugar and a teaspoon of salt to each pint jar (adjusting sugar and salt quantities accordingly for larger or smaller jars). When the vinegar reaches a simmer, pour it into the jars and screw on clean lids and rings. Place jars in fridge, where they can last for longer than you can refrain from eating them.
If you’re doing massive quantities and don’t have space in the fridge, process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath, which will render them shelf-stable.
To use, simply scoop the pickled jalapeño slices from the jar and apply them to your food. You’ll get the hang of it.

Smoked Chipotles
Note: Remember, this is a process that has been in use for thousands of years, and there are a lot of ways to smoke a red jalapeño. As long as you don’t touch your eyes before washing your hands, messing around with jalapeños is a tolerant process.

Ingredients
Red jalapeños
Wood chips

Instructions
When it’s time to smoke red jalapeños into chipotles, my technique is less refined. I trim and clean the red jalapeños the same way as the greens, then roast them on the grill. When the skins have blistered, I move the peppers away from direct heat, add some wood chips to the grill and close the top so the peppers smoke, adjusting the airflow as necessary.
When the wood chips have all burnt off, I finish drying the jalapeños in the sun or a dehydrator. One could smoke them for days, Aztec-style, but a touch of smoke is fine with me. When crispy-dry, store them in airtight bags in the freezer.

All’s fair at the fair

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By:Jennifer K. Bauer and Michelle Schmidt

The Lewiston Tribute 

Outdoing Dagwood: Fair food is all about excess. Here are the ingredients for Inland 360’s ultimate fair food burger, from bottom to top: glazed doughnut, bottom half; hamburger patty; bacon; curly fries; nacho cheese sauce; hamburger patty; potato chips; ice cream bar; one whole pickle; glazed doughnut, top half; Oreos, crushed.

Photo By: Tribune/Barry Kough

Gone are the days when fair food was limited to elephant ears, corn dogs and cotton candy.
You can still find these staples, but these days fairs around the nation are featuring bizarre combinations of anything and everything that can be shoved between two buns, fried, put on a stick, or wrapped in bacon — the weirder, the better.
Here are six crazy fair foods and where you can find them around the U.S.

Fried beer
How do you fry a liquid? Stuff it in pasta for a start. Fried ravioli filled with beer is famous at the State Fair of Texas.
Bickle
A “bickle” is a battered, bacon-wrapped pickle on a stick. It’s popular at the Kansas State Fair.
Pickle juice pops
For some reason, pickles are a big deal in Kansas. Those watching their waistlines at the Kansas State Fair can opt for a pickle juice popsicle instead of a bickle.
Ice cream burger

No need to save room for dessert at the Florida State Fair where people voted the ice cream burger a top favorite 2016. It’s a cheeseburger topped with a crunchy scoop of Mexican-style fried ice cream. Could I get a bickle on that?
Donut Burger
Hold the bun and bring on the donuts. Two donuts, a beef patty, a slice of ham and bourbon glaze make up the Big Clifty Bourbon Donut Burger, one of the top attractions at this year’s Kentucky State Fair. Trains of thought like this may be why Kentucky has one of the highest heart disease death rates in the nation.
Spaghetti and meatballs on a stick
Spaghetti and meatballs on a stick sounds exciting at first because the mind must ponder how slippery noodles would perform this feat. When the answer is: mash them up with meat, glom that into a ball and fry it it, it becomes considerably less exciting, unless you live in Minnesota.

M&M’S Is Debuting Global-Inspired Flavors Like Mexican Jalapeño

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By Maya McDowell 

delish

Jalapeno M&M’S…hmmm…

 

According to Instagram users, M&M’S is releasing three flavors that are a far cry from the classic milk chocolate-flavored candies, or even the peanut version. Brent Timm, behind SnackChatLive (“The wildest and wackiest food vlog in the galaxy!”), posted a photo of the unreleased M&M’S. Per the wrappers, the M&M’S are “Internationally Inspired Flavors,” including English Toffee Peanut, Mexican Jalapeño Peanut, and Thai Coconut Peanut.

Brent writes that M&M’S is set to release the new flavors in 2019. In an Instagram story, he tries the English Toffee Peanut M&M’S, and says the toffee flavor is “super pronounced.” Apparently there’s a sort of coffee flavor to them, and he also compared them to M&M’S Espresso Nut flavor.
People commented on the post, seemingly intruiged and thrilled at the alleged flavors. One user wrote, “gimme that toffee and dat coconut.” Another person said, “I can’t wait for the coconut!! That’s going to be so good.”
Instagram user @candyhunting posted a photo of the Mexican Jalapeño flavor, as well, claiming that these will be the next M&M’s flavor vote contenders. This means once they hit shelves, M&M’S fans can vote on which flavor to keep. The most recent Flavor Vote winning flavor was Crunchy Mint, per a press release.

It’s unclear when or where the M&M’S will be available. M&M’s declined to provide further information at this time. So stay tuned for more info on these intriguing sounding flavors.

 

Chili dip a hit made-from-scratch take on a football favorite

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By Tony and Sarah Nasello

Grand Forks Herald 

Add Jalapenos to this easy Chili dip for football season! 
Photo by: Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor

FARGO — My husband, Tony, is a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan, which means that the only thing we usually get to cheer about in our home during NFL football season is, you guessed it, the food.
And last Sunday, my Easy Cheesy Chili Dip had everyone cheering as we watched the Fish eke out a win over the Tennessee Titans.

This recipe was inspired by a popular dip that seemed to be everywhere in the 1980s, which was made by combining a can of chili with a brick of Velveeta cheese. I loved this dip as a teenager, but as an adult I wanted to see if I could create a made-from-scratch version that would replicate the wonderful creamy, cheesy nature of this dip without using any processed ingredients.
Instead of using canned chili, I make a simple, quick chili that takes just 15 minutes to cook and is every bit as satisfying. You can make this recipe using just one dish — an ovenproof skillet — which keeps the dishwashing at a minimum and helps the dip retain its heat better throughout serving. Or, you could cook the chili in a regular frying pan and then transfer it to a pie plate or baking dish to finish in the oven.
I begin by cooking ground beef with aromatics like garlic, onion and jalapeno pepper in just a bit of oil, which imparts deep flavor into the dish and intensifies the meatiness. This chili is best when the ground beef is broken down into small, crumb-like pieces, and I use a handy meat chopping tool to achieve this, but a potato masher or wooden spoon will also work.
Tomato paste, water and a blend of spices and seasoning are added next to round out the chili, with cayenne pepper providing just a touch of heat. For a creamy finish, I stir in four ounces of cream cheese, which gives the chili a lush and velvety texture that makes it firm enough to hold on a chip. We prefer this chili without beans, but red kidney beans could also be added at this stage for a chunkier version.
Once the cream is thoroughly incorporated, I cover the top of the chili with a generous sprinkling of shredded cheddar jack cheese and then bake it in a 375-degree oven until the cheese begins to bubble and brown. For an extra golden brown and cheesy crust, I finish the dip by broiling it on high for two to three minutes, watching it carefully to keep it from burning.
I love the simplicity of this chili, which can be refrigerated for several days, or frozen for up to two months before adding the cheese and baking, which makes me love it even more. When serving, I prefer hearty, restaurant-style yellow corn tortilla chips, which are strong enough to hold a generous mouthful of cheesy goodness.

My Easy Cheesy Chili Dip is like having a plate of super-deluxe nachos without the hassle of soggy chips, which is always touchdown in my book.
Sarah’s Easy Cheesy Chili Dip
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ cup yellow onion, small-diced
½ jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
6 ounces tomato paste
1 cup water
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more for extra heat)
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
Toppings
2 Roma tomatoes, diced into ¼-inch pieces
3 green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup black olives, sliced
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a 9- or 10-inch oven-safe skillet, heat the oil and add the ground beef, garlic, onions and jalapeno pepper. Cook over medium heat until the beef is fully browned, and the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use a meat chopper, potato masher or wooden spoon to break the beef into small, crumb-like pieces. Drain the excess fat and return the skillet to the stovetop.
Add the tomato paste, water, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the cream cheese and stir until fully incorporated, then stir in the kidney beans, if using. Smooth the top and cover with the shredded cheese.
Bake in a 375-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and browned. For best results, finish by broiling on high until the top is a rich, golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Use a pot holder or handle cover to remove skillet from oven and sprinkle the top with an even layer of the diced tomatoes, green onions and black olives. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips. Leftovers may be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or a microwave-safe dish.
Sarah’s tips:
• If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, use a frying pan to make the chili, then transfer it to a 9- or 10-inch pie plate or baking dish and cover with the cheese.
• For extra heat, use the whole jalapeno pepper and/or increase the amount of cayenne pepper.
• Fresh cilantro may also be sprinkled on the top just before serving.
• For best results, serve with hearty, restaurant-style yellow corn tortilla chips.

Pork stuffed jalapeno poppers

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News and Tribune 

BY:DAVE LOBECK

 

Pork Stuffed Jalapeno pepper

 

Sometimes you want to fix something that is both delicious and fun. A client and friend of mine stopped by the office last Friday and dropped off a batch of jalapeno peppers that he grew in his garden. They were gorgeous. This thoughtful gesture gave us the perfect opportunity to fix something “delicious and fun” with a bit of a ​BBQ My Way​ twist. Let’s get started.
Ingredients
8 to 10 Jalapeno peppers – halved and seeded 1⁄2 cup smoked pulled pork (BBQ My Way​ twist) 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin

1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper
8 oz block of softened cream cheese 1 1⁄2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs plus a dash of milk
1 cup flour
1 1⁄2 Panko bread crumbs
1⁄8 cup of your favorite pork rub
White Alabama Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
2⁄3 cup apple cider vinegar 1 Tbs black pepper

Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
In a bowl, combine the cheese, the softened cream cheese, the pork, cumin and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. A fork works best.
Cut the peppers lengthwise and scoop out membranes and seeds. I would suggest wearing rubber gloves while doing this and then remove the gloves when you are done. Stuff each pepper with a scoop of the cheese mixture. Place the eggs and milk in one shallow bowl and mix thoroughly, place the flour in a second shallow bowl and the panko crumbs and your favorite pork rub in a third shallow bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the cheese stuffed peppers in the flour first, then roll around in the eggs and milk, then coat in the panko crumbs. Place on a cookie cooling sheet which is perched on a cookie sheet. This keeps the peppers elevated. Bake for thirty minutes or so or until the peppers are softened a bit. If the panko isn’t brown enough, set the oven to broil for a few minutes to finish the browning process.
Drizzle with Alabama white sauce and serve with your favorite cold beverage. Delicious, spicy, crunchy, cheesy and smoky all at the same time. Enjoy!

Add Pickle Juice to Your Sautéed Vegetables

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By:  Claire Lower

Skillet

Add pickle juice to flavor your vegetables

Photo: Sébastien Marchand (Unsplash)

 

Trendy faux-dive bars are all about the pickleback, but back in my day, I had to sneak sips of the salty brine because it was “weird” and “the pickles were starting to dry out.” But pickle juice is more than a cucumber-preserving liquid, and I’m glad the world is starting to appreciate its broader culinary uses.

I love a bit of pickle brine in a martini, but I have recently been splashing it into hot, sputtering pans of buttery vegetables with great success. Rather than tasting aggressive and sour, the vinegar reduces to a slightly sweeter form of itself while cutting through some of the butter’s richness. There’s also no need to raid your spice rack, as the seasonings within brine do all the work in that department. I particularly enjoy a garlicky Clausen brine with crispy, buttery baby shiitakes. The meatiness of the mushroom greatly benefits from the whisper of acid, and the pickling spices flavor without overwhelming. Add a tablespoon of brine just before you take your veggies off the heat, let it reduce for a mere minute or two, and serve as usual. (Other vegetables are good too, but try it with mushrooms first; you will not regret your choices.)

 

Sweet and sweaty

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By: Jason Cassidy 

News Review 

 

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

Sweet jalapeños in a jar.

My garden sucks this year. Despite a spring spent adding new beds in more favorable locations, as well as an automated irrigation system, my blossoms have dropped en masse. Unfortunately timed heatwaves this summer have robbed me—and many fellow local gardeners to whom I’ve whined—of most tomato and melon fruits. Not all has been lost, though. The lemon cucumber and spaghetti squash yields have been respectable. And the jalapeños—those chilis I most often cook with and always do well in my yard—continue to be on fire. The time was ripe to finally make some “cowboy candy.”
My conventional use for a bumper crop of jalapeños is to combine it with the “too many” tomatoes that I normally enjoy for some homemade pico de gallo for all my tortilla chip and tri-tip-smothering needs. But the absence of tomatoes presented an opportunity for trying out this tasty-looking pickling/candying method of preserving hot peppers that I’ve come across on various recipe websites over the years.
Turns out cowboy candy is super quick and simple to make—especially if you just do the quick refrigerator pickle—and the results are amazing. I’ve tried them on a turkey burger and a grilled-chicken sandwich (both transformative) and spooned them straight out of the jar and into my mouth for an intense sweet/sour/hot snack. It’d also be a perfect contrast to a bagel with cream cheese, and would make a great addition chopped up and stirred into a potato salad or coleslaw.
After making one batch, I think I have a new staple in my fridge.
The recipe I settled on borrows bits from the glut I found online, all of which are basically the same. Other additions that I found but left out of my batch include cayenne pepper (seems overkill), celery seeds (meh) and lime zest and/or juice (next time). I included some whole red jalapeños for extra color, but you could also add a few whole cayenne or, if you’re really brave, habanero peppers to further enhance the look and flavor.
Cowboy candy
Ingredients:
3 pounds jalapeños, sliced
Handful of additional whole chili peppers
(red jalapeño, cayenne, habanero, etc.)
6 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar (apple cider or distilled
white)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
8 cloves garlic, smashed
Sterilize four or five one-pint pickling jars and lids, plus a slotted spoon and a funnel.
Put on some rubber or plastic gloves. Rinse off your jalapeños and any other peppers you’re using, then cut off the stems and slice into quarter-inch rings. (You could de-seed first if you want less heat … but c’mon!) If you’re including any whole peppers, simply cut off the stems and add to the pepper pile.
Start your syrup by adding vinegar, sugar, turmeric and smashed garlic to a large saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking until sugar dissolves. Reduce to a low boil, and cook for four minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove garlic. Add all your peppers to the pot and boil for another four minutes.
Turn off heat, and with slotted spoon remove peppers and distribute evenly between jars. Turn heat on syrup back up and bring to a boil. Cook for an additional five minutes or so, until syrup begins to thicken. Funnel syrup into jars, covering peppers completely and leaving about 1/2-inch airspace at top. Tighten lids and put in the fridge. Wait one week. Enjoy! Using this refrigerator method for pickling, your cowboy candy will be good in the fridge for at least three months.