If you are looking for a condiment that is salty and spicy at the same time, you have found exactly what you needed- the jalapeno salt. It’s perfect for every possible treat you can think of.
Ranging from popcorn to salads and even your cocktails.
Reasons to upgrade to a hotter salt:
- It’s not basic. It’s spicy, and it’s going to upgrade your snacks and dishes to the finest degree.
- A great gifting option to make a special impression on friends and family. You can hand out your special homemade salt made with love and cleanliness. Now who doesn’t want that?
- It’s very easy to make. Simple, hassle-free, low on ingredients, and budget-friendly.
Moreover, you can add it to various recipes like:
- Toast
- Eggs
- Pizzas
- Your choice of meat
- vegetable stir
- salads
- drinks
- popcorn
- chips
and wherever your cravings lead you to…
Jalapeno Salt is the perfect way to utilise those peppers in the peak harvest months of July to September.
This method is a lesser-known, fun way to store them for a long time, when the only common recipes popular among the crowd are pickles.
Let’s learn how to make this with just 2 ingredients in the easiest way possible!!
Shelf life: ranges from 6 to 12 months. It can exceed in certain conditions, like air-tight storage and low-temperature storage.
Preparation time: 6-8 hours (can vary depending on the method you choose for drying the peppers).
Ingredients: (for 1 kg salt)
1.5 to 2 kilograms Fresh jalapeno peppers
You can use 800 grams of Kosher Salt, also known as sea salt ( table salt shouldn’t be used as it makes the recipe clumpy )
Equipment Needed:
- Gloves
- Knife
- Plates
- Dehydrator / Oven / None (if you plan on sun drying jalapeno)
- Blender
Jalapeno Salt Recipe for Beginners
Step 1: Drying the peppers
- Take about 2 kgs of jalapenos. Wash them thoroughly.
- Take a knife and slit it vertically. Cut them into smaller pieces so that they dry up easily.
Pro tip: Use gloves while doing this for your own safety. If you accidentally touch your face or eyes, the heat will tear you down.
You should remove the seeds to make it less spicy. You can use them later in soups and chilli flake seasonings.
They add a nice flavour.
- Now comes the part where your choice decides how long this recipe will take to complete.
Oven, dehydrator, or sun drying.
The oven takes around 2 to 3 hours at 90-100°c °C.
But it has its own demerits. The fumes get trapped inside and make your house smell packed with intense, smoky, hot aroma.
While sun drying takes around 2 to 3 days to get the perfectly crisp and brittle texture we need. It’s also the oldest method being used to date.
So I would suggest you use a dehydrator for this process. Setting it at 55-60°c °C would get the deed done in 6 to 8 hours. But if it’s not available, you can choose what suits you best.
Just make sure the peppers are really dry if you sun-dry them.
They should break like biscuits. Any leathery-textured pieces have to be removed or given more time, or they would cut down the shelf life.
Step 2: Preparing the salt
- Once the pepper gets to normal room temperature, add it to the blender jar along with 800g of sea salt (for 1kg spice blend).
- Once done, store it in air-tight glass jars for a long storage.
To adjust the heat levels, you can refer to these tips:
- For a milder experience, use just 1 kg of peppers and remove the seeds.
- Increase the salt portion if you want spicier food. Don’t forget to add in the seeds as well.
The recipe can be made fun by adding in simple additional flavourants like:
- Garlic (dehydrated and blended to a fine dry powder)
- Herbs
- Lemon Zest
It’s your kitchen! And you can do whatever feels right to your taste. You are free to explore the endless possibilities of flavour.
Important tips to note while making the jalapeno salt recipe for the first time:
- Don’t skip the gloves
- Make sure the jalapeno gets really crisp
- If the blender jar is small, first blend the peppers and then add the salt separately. This way you wont have any worries about the condiments blasting out of the jar when you turn it on.
- Store it in an air-tight glass jar. Dark places, like a refrigerator or cabinets with no direct contact with light, would keep it fresh.
- If you notice some mould, placing it in the sunlight briefly will kill any bacteria present.
FAQS
Q. Is jalapeno salt difficult to make?
Not really. It’s just a bit time-consuming if you choose to air dry the peppers, or else, it’s pretty easy to make it at home by yourself.
Q. Should I remove the seeds?
That depends on your spice tolerance.
Love heat? Add it
low tolerance? skip it
Q. How long can I store jalapeno salt?
6 to 12 months, if you take the proper precautions mentioned.