How to make quick-pickled jalapeños to add brightness and heat to any dish

• You can quickly pickle jalapeños in 30 minutes with a basic brine of vinegar, water, and salt.
• Pickled jalapeños will keep for at least two weeks stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Use pickled jalapeños to top nachos, burgers, pizza, and more.

If you think just about any dish can benefit from a tangy zing with a kick of heat, you need pickled jalapeños in your life.

"You might not want to bite into a raw jalapeño, but a quick-pickled one will be nearly as crunchy and infused with a light, vinegary flavor that balances the pepper's heat," says Julie Laing, the author behind "The Complete Guide to Pickling: Pickle and Ferment Everything Your Garden or Market Has to Offer."

When you quick-pickle fresh jalapeños, the process will slightly reduce the pepper's heat. But what you're left with is a tangy and spicy topper with a tangy and tender crunch that's perfect for salads, sandwiches, pizza, nachos and more.

What is a quick pickle?

With quick pickling, vegetables are simply covered with brine and refrigerated. The technique is different from traditional pickling because it doesn't require a full canning process. Traditional pickles go through a process called water bath canning, where vacuum-sealed jars are submerged in boiling water for a certain amount of time.

Quick pickles "take little time to make and are ready to eat sooner than traditionally preserved pickles," says Laing.

As indicated by the name, quick-pickling is a much faster process, where the pickles are ready to eat in just minutes or hours. Sliced peppers, in particular, are ideal for quick pickling since they retain some of their crunch but quickly take on flavors.

Quick tip: Jalapeños aren't the only pepper ideal for quick-pickling. "By cutting other peppers, hot or sweet, into rings or thin strips, you can pickle them in the same way," says Laing. She especially likes Fresno chiles for quick-pickling, which have a similar level of heat and a slightly smoky flavor.

How to quick-pickle jalapeños

What you need

• 6-8 jalapeño peppers
• 1 cup vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar)
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Knife
• Small saucepan
• Glass wide-mouth pint jar with a nonreactive lid (stainless steel, food-grade plastic, or silicone)

Instructions

1. Choose the brine ratio. A basic brine is equal parts vinegar and water. You can adjust the ratio to your preference. For example, Laing likes to use a 4 to 1 ratio of vinegar to water for quick pickled peppers to help tame the heat. In general, you'll need about 1 and 1/4 cups of brine per pint jar of peppers.

2. Make the brine. Combine the vinegar, water, and salt (1 teaspoon kosher or pickling salt per pint) in a small saucepan. Heat the brine over medium heat and stir until all of the salt has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3. Prepare and slice the jalapeños. Slice the jalapeños into 1/4-inch slices and discard the stems. You'll need roughly six peppers to fill one pint jar. To avoid getting jalapeño oil on your hands and irritating your eyes and mouth, "it's always a good idea to put on rubber gloves before you clean and slice chiles," says Laing.

4. Pack the jar. Pack the jalapeño slices into the glass pint jar. Pack them tightly, but do not overpack. Leave some space from the top of the jar.

5. Pour the brine over the jalapeños. Pour the cooled brine over top, ensuring the peppers are submerged. You may not use all the brine.

6. Let sit and store. Screw on the lid and allow the peppers sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before eating. Refrigerate for longer storage.

Note: Quick-pickled jalapeños will keep in their sealed container in the refrigerator for at least two weeks, "picking up more vinegar flavor and losing heat the longer they sit," says Laing.

Customizing the brine flavor

The only required ingredients for making any quick pickles is vinegar, water, and salt. But the secret to adjusting it to your taste is adding spices to the brine. For jalapeños, you may want to experiment with adding 1 teaspoon of sugar or 1 tablespoon of honey. To help reduce the heat, you can also add sliced carrots.

Other classic add-ins include sliced carrots (to help smashed garlic clove, or 1/2 teaspoon of crushed peppercorns or coriander per pint jar.

How to use pickled jalapeños

Laing recommends using pickled jalapeños anytime you'd like to add some brightness and heat to a dish. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Tex-Mex dishes: Use pickled jalapeños to top nachos or tacos, stuff burritos or quesadillas, or add heat to bean or cheese dip.
• Burgers and sandwiches: Level up your burgers by topping them with melty cheese and pickled jalapeños. The peppers also add a delicious heat to sandwiches and wraps.
• Pizza: Pickled peppers make a fun pizza topping, especially when paired with ham and pineapple or sausage.
• Soup: Add whole or chopped pickled jalapeños to a soup to give it a kick. They're especially good in taco soup or Asian-inspired noodle soups.
• Use the brine: Laing likes to save the brine, which is tasty all on its own. "It's essentially a spicy infused vinegar that can be drizzled over vegetables, set out for dipping summer rolls or potstickers, turned into a salad dressing, or used anywhere you'd splash hot sauce," says Laing.

Insider's takeaway

It's easy to make pickled jalapeños at home using the quick pickling method. Mix up a simple brine, combine it with the sliced peppers, and let sit for half an hour before enjoying. Pickled jalapeños add a little tang, heat, and crunch to a wide range of dishes.