Candied jalapeño bites (with pairings)

Makes 500 ml This recipe is a double-whammy gift to your fridge: not only do you get delectable, sweet jalapeños with an acidic bite, but you’re also left with a sumptuous spicy syrup to use in cocktails, salad dressings or to reuse to hot-candy yet another ingredient! Contrary to their complex taste, this recipe is quite basic. The liquid – let’s call it the ‘candying brine’ – is magical. Though this recipe is for jalapeños, I’ve used the brine for everything from red chillies and grapes to rhubarb. [The Condiment Book Cookbook]

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1Slice the jalapeños into thick circles.

Step 2

2Put the vinegar in the saucepan with the sugar and ground ginger and bring to the boil, stirring to make sure the sugar has fully dissolved.

Step 3

3Add the jalapeño rings and simmer until they turn from bright green to a darker forest green. This can take 5–10 minutes depending on their size. Once you’ve achieved this colour, turn off the heat and put both jalapeños and their delicious spicy syrup into the sterilised jar.

Step 4

4Pop them in the fridge, give to your friends, eat immediately, it’s really up to you. They keep for months in the fridge.

Step 5

“1With breakfast toasts (avocado, scrambled bagel & cream eggs, cheese, cheese, cottage ricotta)

Step 6

2On sourdough or baguette with butter & strawberry jam

Step 7

3In devilled eggs

Step 8

4With caprese salad

Step 9

5Or Greek salad

Step 10

6With soft white cheeses (mozzarella, burrata, Brie, Camembert)

Step 11

7In wraps or sandwiches (grilled veggies, chicken, tuna, turkey)

Step 12

8In barbecue dishes (hotdogs, burgers, grilled sweetcorn)

Step 13

9In potato salad

Step 14

10With tacos”

Step 15

Grapes, apples, watermelon

Step 16

In cocktails (especially the syrup