Fermented Jalapenos

Fermented jalapenos are pickled jalapenos, but way better. Once you’ve tried these fermented jalapenos, you will always taste the difference. Not only do they taste better, they’re also probiotic.

Why Fermented Jalapenos Are So Much Better Than Pickled Jalapenos

While fermented jalapenos are made with a salt brine (salt water), pickled jalapenos are made with vinegar. The difference is night and day. Once you go fermented, you’ll never go back.

I grew up on pickled jalapenos, since I was raised in Texas. By the time I was 10, I was eating pickled jalapenos like they were dill pickles. My little brother and I used to have jalapeño-eating contests. We’d spend whole afternoons eating jars of jalapenos.

It wasn’t until last year, in my late 40s, that I tried fermenting jalapenos with salt water. I can’t even tell you how blown away I was. The flavor of the jalapenos really stands out.

With pickled jalapenos, there is a wall of vinegar that is so strong, you can’t really taste the jalapenos. With fermented jalapenos, on the other hand, it’s much more subtle.

The difference is like a French steel-barrel-aged Chardonnay compared to the hit-you-in-the-face “wall of oak” California Chardonnays. (Okay, yes, I am a wine geek.)

I make this recipe with jalapenos I grow every summer in my front yard garden. And the jalapenos will keep in your fridge for months. I’ve had them in my fridge for as long as a year.

They don’t usually last that long though, since I’m a Texan, and I love my jalapenos on pretty much anything I can put them on. Nachos, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas — you name it.

Fermented Jalapenos Are Probiotic

Not only do they taste better, fermented jalapenos are probiotic. That means they’re good for your gut, helping to build good bacteria in your digestive tract. A healthy digestive tract full of good bacteria is one of the most important things you can do for your health.