Cowboy Candy Recipe With Cranberries and Orange Zest

Share

Tweet
This is a great autumn and winter treat. Serve at parties or save it all for yourself to eat at home.

A note before starting: Open a few windows near or in your kitchen, as you will be boiling vinegar and the smell can get pretty intense without proper ventilation. 

Cowboy candy with cream cheese on Ritz crackers

Ingredients for a Small Batch (2 pints)

1 lb (or 16 ounces) of fresh or canned jalepaños. 

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3 cloves of garlic, minced. Or 1 tbsp minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

2/3 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon orange zest

If using canned peppers, reduce the vinegar to about 1/2 cup and use the juices from the can. This should make up the amount of liquid, but always measure to be sure. 

Preparing the Jalepeños

1. Wear surgical or rubber gloves before handling peppers. Do no touch your eyes, face, or hair while preparing fresh peppers. 
2. Using a small, narrow knife, cut the top off the pepper. Slice it down the middle longways. De-seed the peppers and then place the halves in a bowl of cool water. Loose seeds will float to the top. (Another trick is to put the peppers in the freezer for a couple hours prior to de-seeding. They'll be firmer, and the seeds will come off easier.) 
3. Dice peppers into smaller pieces and set aside in a bowl.
4. Remove rubber gloves and leave inside out. Trash 'em. 
5. Wash hands thoroughly to remove any pepper juice that may have made its way onto your hands, otherwise, you might inadvertently get stung with jalepeño juice (It's happened to me!)

 If you prefer a spicier cowboy candy, leave a few seeds in the mixture to give it some more kick. 

Using Canned Peppers

1. Separate the jalepeños from the juice. Put in different bowls and set aside.
2. Dice the peppers and set aside (A quick blitz in a blender or food processor will speed up the process, but leave them in chunks. You don't want a pureé). 

Making the Cowboy Candy

1. Mix apple cider vinegar in a saucepan with the sugar, turmeric, garlic, coriander, mustard seed, and cayenne. 
2. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to about half (4 or 5 on stoves with a 0-10 setting). 
3. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Mixture should begin to get thick and syrupy.  
4. Add cranberries, orange zest and jalepeños and simmer for another 5 minutes. 

Canning the Cowboy Candy

1. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cowboy candy and pack mixture into glass mason jars, leaving about 1/4 inch at the top. 
2. Scoop the syrup in a ladle and carefully pour it over the jarred mixture. 
3. If you're canning long-term, this is the time to give them the hot water bath. If you plan on using it right away, just put the lid on the jars and store in the fridge. 

You will probably have some syrup left over from the jarring process. Save this, too. It's a great marinade or sauce for ham or chicken. 

Eating Your Cowboy Candy

I love eating this with cream cheese or neufchatel (which are very similar to each other) on butter crackers, like Ritz or Townhouse. 

Let me know what you think of this recipe, and if you think it needs some improvements. Thanks! 

Feel free to check out my Instagram page here: