We’ve all been there – it’s the end of the week and any lingering produce needs to be used or tossed. I recently found myself with a surplus of jalapeños in the fridge. Whether you bought too many (like me) or your garden has yielded an abundance of jalapeños this summer, I have the perfect recipe for you. In the name of minimizing food waste, let’s make some Fresh Jalapeño Relish!
In most cases I’ll think of a recipe I want to write and buy the ingredients to test it out. The reverse happened with this Fresh Jalapeño Relish. I saw the bag of jalapeños in my fridge and the idea instantly hit me. I wanted to make a relish that could be used to add fresh, spicy flavor to my favorite summer dishes. In fact, a new recipe using this Fresh Jalapeño Relish as a topping is coming to the blog soon!
One of the best parts about this Fresh Jalapeño Relish is that you probably have the other ingredients on hand already. If you don’t have a shallot, swap it out for a few finely chopped garlic cloves. White vinegar can be substituted with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. You can experiment with your favorite sweetener, too. I think agave would work best.
Reminder: do NOT touch your eyes after chopping jalapeños! My friend suffered a painful experience after slicing jalapeños at my bachelorette party this summer. To safeguard against burns, you can wear gloves or stick your non-chopping hand inside a ziplock bag to hold the jalapeños steady as you finely chop. For a spicier relish, keep more of the jalapeño membrane and seeds – that’s where the heat comes from.
This Fresh Jalapeño Relish is the perfect summer topping to keep on hand for tacos, tofu scrambles, burrito bowls, and more.
Slice the jalapeños in half from stem to tip and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and membrane. For a spicier jalapeño relish, leave more seeds in. Finely chop the jalapeños and transfer them to a mason jar with or without the seeds.
Peel and finely chop the shallot and add it to the jar with the jalapeño. Pour in the white vinegar, water, sugar, and sea salt. Twist on the lid and shake the jar to combine the ingredients.
Refrigerate the fresh jalapeño relish until ready to serve. Enjoy with vegan tacos, burrito bowls, tofu scrambles, and any other dish that could use a little kick! Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Prep Time:
Yield:
