Honey and jalapeno pickles is a special flavor of pickles that mixes the sweetness of honey and the fresh, sweet, and sometimes slightly bitter taste of cucumber. People who eat pickles soaked in vinegar brine are in for a nice surprise once they’ve tasted honey and jalapeno pickles. It is hard to imagine cucumbers paired with something sweet. We know cucumbers taste good with something sour, salty, or spicy. But believe it or not, it’s also amazing with honey and jalapeno providing the sweet and spicy flavor profile to this canned delight.
Honey and Jalapeno Pickle Trivia
- Honey is so valued that in 11th-century Germany, according to National Geographic, the peasants paid their feudal lords with honey as well as beeswax.
- It was common to use honey as currency where honey is common, and according to Jeff McLaughlin, in the book Old-Time Country Wisdom and Lore for Hearth and Home, “peasants paid their taxes in honey.”
- It was believed that jalapeno was the reason why astronaut Bill Lenoir experienced an upset stomach. José Antonio Burciaga, in the book Drink Cultura: Chicanismo, wrote: “In 1982, Astronaut Bill Lenoir had an upset stomach that was linked to the jalapeño peppers he had carried into orbit.”
Honey and Jalapeno Pickle Production & Farming in Texas
There are small, local businesses in Texas that make honey and jalapeno pickles, like Sheena’s Pickles in Austin, Yahweh’s All Natural Farm and Garden in Harlingen, and Popkens Pickles in Sherman. If honey and jalapeno pickles are out of stock in Texas, try brands from other parts of the country that accept online orders and deliver anywhere in the US. Try Jalapeno Honey Dills, from The Real Dill, a food company based in Denver, Colorado.
Pesticides, Additives, and Chemicals
Commercial pickling uses artificial and chemical ingredients, and commercially-produced honey and jalapeno pickles may contain chemicals and artificial ingredients commonly used for improving the color, taste, appearance, and shelf life of canned food like honey and jalapeno pickles.
- Sodium benzoate is added to improve the shelf life of canned pickles.
- Alum is used to make the texture of the pickled cucumber crispy. This food additive is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
- Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are used to help preserve the pickled cucumbers inside the glass bottle.
- Sodium chloride is used for preservation and to improve the taste of the dill pickles.
- Citric acid is used to boost the acidity or the sour flavor of the dill pickles.
Geography
Honey and jalapeno pickles are not very common, not as common, at least, as regular pickles. It is also a challenge to make this at home because while cucumber and honey are commonly found in supermarkets and grocery stores, jalapenos are not common and readily available to consumers all year long. That explains why Texans make this kind of pickle, because Texas has a steady and regular production of jalapenos, cucumbers, and honey, despite the dip in honey production in 2021, according to Texas A&M. There is also an estimated 1,200 acres of jalapeno in Texas, enough to meet the local demand, while cucumbers are grown in backyard gardens as well as in commercial-scale farms in Texas.
Some restaurants especially in the southern part of the US serve deep-fried pickles coated with breading or batter. It can also be added to soup, similar to how they do it in Russia and Ukraine when preparing the traditional soup they call rassolnik. In southern England, they eat gherkins (their version of dill pickle) along with fish and chips. You can buy dill pickles on a stick, known in places like Japan as “stick pickle” (ippon-tsuke).
Packaging
Honey and jalapeno pickles are sold in glass bottles. An important part of the packaging is the label, which contains important information for the consumers, including the name of the manufacturer, expiration or best-before date, ingredients, nutritional information, etc.
With regards to the packaging of honey and jalapeno pickles, mind the safety seal on the lid. Make sure the plastic safety seal is intact and without damage. Check the label also. If there is any damage, tear, tampered parts, etc. on the label, call the attention of the store manager to make sure this product is safe.
Enjoying Honey and Jalapeno Pickles
You can eat honey and jalapeno pickles as a side dish or an appetizer. This is common practice among those who regularly eat pickled cucumber.
The combination of honey and jalapeno makes for a sweet and savory flavor profile with a subtle hint of heat just enough to excite your taste buds and help improve the taste of the food you eat along with honey and jalapeno pickles.
Some people take a cucumber spear from a jar of honey and jalapeno pickles and munch on it. Others slice or chop it into smaller pieces to make pickle relish.
Storage
If the jar of honey and jalapeno pickles is unopened, it is alright to store it at room temperature. The pantry or cupboard are good places to store this. But once the jar has been opened, refrigerate it and always make sure you keep the jar or container tightly sealed and refrigerated.
Cooking
You can use honey and jalapeno pickles to make meatloaves, potato salads, and chicken salads. You can also make this an ingredient when making hotdog sandwiches or hamburger sandwiches. You can spread hummus on toasted brown rice bread and top it with honey and jalapeno pickles, fresh tomato slices, and spinach.
Nutritional Benefits
When you eat honey and jalapeno pickles, you help improve your digestive system because honey and jalapeno pickles is a probiotic food.
