• CAUTION: Use caution when preparing the jalapenos. I recommend using gloves during prep and don't touch your face or eyes.

Step 1: Prep the Peppers and Canner

• If canning the peppers, fill a water bath canner half full with water and heat over high heat to boiling. Inspect the jars and rims to make sure that they're completely intact, with no visible cracks or chips in the rim or body of the jar and add to the canner. Gather the canning lids and rims.
• Wash the peppers is warm water to remove any dirt. Trim the stems and discard. Slice the jalapeno peppers into 1/4-inch rounds. I find the easiest way to do this is with a sharp knife and a cutting board, but you could easily use a mandoline cutter.

Step 2: Cook the Peppers

• In a large saucepan, combine the apple cider vinegar, sugars, and spices. Bring the syrup to a boil to dissolve the sugars over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes, and continue stirring. Keep an eye on the syrup as it bubbles up as it boils.
• Add the jalapeno pepper slices to the sweet syrup and bring back to a boil. Once the vinegar mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and boil for an additional 5 minutes. The pepper slices will soften and go from bright green to a darker green.

Step 3:Fill the Jars

• After the spicy jalapenos have softened, remove the pan from the heat.

  Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a heat-proof surface. Place a funnel on the jar, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the jalapeños to hot jars.
• Once all of the jalapenos have been removed from the syrup, return the pan to the stove and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the syrup until it has the consistency of maple syrup. Ladle the thickened syrup into the jars over the jalapenos, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Repeat until all of the jars are filled.

  (Don't throw the leftover brine! Instead, use it in a variety of ways, listed in the post)
• After filling jars with jalapenos and syrup, remove trapped pockets of air bubbles by running a butter knife, cooking chopstick, or similar tool through the cowboy candy, making sure to reach all the way to the bottom of the jar.

  If not canning, allow to cool to room temperature before adding lids and refrigerate.

Step 4: Place the 2 Piece Lids and Process in a Water Bath Canner

• Wipe the rims of the jars with a paper towel dampened with a bit of vinegar to wipe away residual brine and ensure a good seal.
• Place the two-piece lids on each jar and tighten the band to finger-tip tightness.
• Using a jar lifter or canning tongs, place the jars into the water bath canner and add enough water so that the water level is 2 inches above the top of the jars. Bring water to a full rolling boil. When the water comes to a boil, start the timer. Process pints for 15 minutes and half pints for 10 minutes. Adjust processing time for your altitude.
• When the processing time is done, lift the jars out of the canner and place them on a cooling rack. As the temperature in the jars cools, you will hear the ping of the lids as they're pulled inwards to seal. Leave the jars undisturbed for 12-24 hours before checking the seals.

Step 5: Storage

• Allow the cowboy candy to cool to room temperature and place jars in the refrigerator. For the best flavor, allow the candied jalapenos to rest for 1 week. This may be the hardest part, but it allows the flavors to develop and the jalapenos to marinate in that flavorful syrup.
• Store canned cowboy candy in a cool, dark place like a pantry cupboard. Canned cowboy candy can be stored at room temperature for a few years, but the quality will start to decline with time. For optimum quality, it's best to use with in the first year. Once opened keep in refrigerator and use within 3 months.