Quick Pickled Brussels Sprouts with Jalapeno
Quick Pickled Brussels Sprouts with Jalapeno are the perfect accompaniment to anything you’re serving this holiday season! They’ll make a great gift for the Brussels sprout-obsessed and are the perfect accompaniment to a spicy Bloody Mary, roasted meats, sandwich or meat and cheese tray.
The inspiration behind this recipe:
Meet the Brussels sprouts that didn’t make it to our Thanksgiving table. The plan I had was to roast them. However, because I only have one oven, I couldn’t get them done. The kids and grandkids are picky eaters so chances were I would be the only eating them anyway.
I went through our refrigerator the other day to clean up and clean out the rest of the Thanksgiving leftovers and found the forgotten Brussels sprouts.
I’ve been itching to make pickled Brussels sprouts because they’re not easily found in the South!
First, I LOVE pickled anything. This is probably too much information, but I can pretty much eat a jar of dill pickles in one sitting–two sittings tops. I guess it’s my Polish heritage. Everything, including fish was pickled a long time ago to preserve it because of the lack of refrigeration.
When Brussels sprouts sit, they tend to develop a more intense “cabbagey” flavor. While they would have probably been fine roasted, I didn’t have the heart to throw them away. Instead, I decided to pickle them.
Good decision on my part!
How to make Quick Pickled Brussels Sprouts with Jalapeno:
- These are super quick and easy! The pickled sprouts get stored in the refrigerator so no water bath or canning knowledge is necessary.
- Simply trim, cut in half, then cook for a few minutes in heavily salted water.
- Try them and if you like Brussels sprouts softer, cook them longer.
- Place the Brussels sprouts, jalapeno and garlic in a clean (sterilized if possible) jar.
- Make the brine, and carefully pour it over the sprouts.
- Cool, then place in the refrigerator and let them sit for five days before enjoying. That’s it!
Enjoy!
More crazy good Brussels sprouts recipes you’ll love!
- Lemon Parmesan Crusted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter and Almonds
- Sriracha Sweet Chili Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai Green Curry Butter
- Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai Sweet Chili – Orange Glaze
- Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Brie and Bacon
Quick Pickled Brussels Sprouts with Jalapeno
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Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons Salt - plus more for cooking water
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts - trimmed and halved
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar - optional
- 3 jalapeno peppers - sliced
- 6 cloves garlic - smashed
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Prepare an ice bath. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook 2 to 3 minutes (longer if you want them softer). Transfer to the ice bath to cool.
- Combine water, vinegar, peppercorns, mustard seeds and 2-3 tablespoons salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the salt dissolves. Taste the brine and if desired, add a small amount of sugar.
- Drain Brussels sprouts and place in a tall, clean jar. Add the jalapeno, garlic and bay leaves. Carefully pour the hot brine over the Brussels sprouts. (You may have some brine leftover.
- Cool to room temperature. Cover and place in the refrigerator 5 days before serving. Store refrigerated up to a month.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Can you pickle frozen brussel sprouts?
Hi, Gloria, Thanks so much for your question. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t really say for sure. I would only pickle frozen Brussels sprouts unless I had frozen them myself and only quickly blanched them. And there, too, any frozen vegetable has a tendency to produce water that seems to come out of nowhere which would dilute the flavor. Thanks again and if you do try it and you’re successful, please let me know how it went.
If I have an abundance can I can these using a waterbath for longer storage?
Hi, Tina, Thanks so much for your question. I haven’t done these in a water bath because Brussels sprouts don’t last long around my house. I would suggest NOT precooking them if you do that. Just stuff the jars, get the water and brine boiling and process in the water bath for 10 minutes. I’d probably wait 5-7 days to sample them. Thanks again, let me know how it goes and hope you enjoy!
I’ve been pickling (and fermenting) a long time and my gut instinct told me the 3/1 water to vinegar ratio seemed suspect and I was right. They turned out too bland and not enough bite. When I eat something pickled, my taste buds want to know it and these just didn’t do it. I ended up dumping brine out and adding vinegar to get a more 1/1 ratio, so far that has helped bring these to life. This is a personal taste preference, and if your is similar, you’ll want 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups water to start. Additionally, the blanch time depends not only on your firm to soft preference, but on the size of the sprouts, which can vary widely. Mine were large, like 2 inchers, I blanched for 3 minutes and they are super firm, maybe would blanch 4 minutes for the larger ones.
I was curious about what you might use them in. I bought a jar of some spicy pickled Brussels sprouts and they are delicious, but I’m having trouble coming up with something to make with them.
Hi, Josh, I love them with a good Bloody or even virgin Mary. They’re also great on charcuterie platters or even just with a sandwich! Since I’m the only one at my house who eats them, I eat pickled Brussels sprouts right out the jar!
Thanks for this post. I first had one of these and thought wow. I gotta try these.!!! Going to make some now.
Hi, Nancy, Hope you enjoy! Let me know how they turned out!
Oh man, I LOVE this idea!!! I wonder if they could even get my brussels sprouts-hating husband on board… He LOVES jalapenos!!
With a Bloody Mary? Why not!