Quick-Pickled Jalapeños and Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus

This recipe has been a long time coming – and not just because I didn’t post last week due to my ongoing tendinitis (which makes it painful to type).

Paula and I have been making Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus for a while now, but every time she’s asked me to put it up on the blog, I tell her I want to wait until we’ve made our own pickled jalapeños (rather than using the ones from a can). This is what she has to deal with – putting up with a semi-purist, always-perfectionist food blogger.

She also thought I was crazy for insisting that we stop buying the delicious Trader Joe’s cilantro jalapeño hummus and make it from scratch instead. Although eventually homemade hummus began to win her over, especially since we started using Ottolenghi and Tamimi’s recipe from their cookbook “Jerusalem,” which calls for dried chickpeas, not canned – it makes the hummus even smoother and creamier.

So we were no longer using canned chickpeas for our homemade hummus, but we were still using canned pickled jalapeños for this recipe… until earlier this summer.

I had all kinds of big plans for all sorts of pickling and canning projects this summer – before the tendinitis struck. Now I’m coming to terms with the fact that this might be a summer of very little cooking and zero canning, but that doesn’t mean zero pickling!

Quick-pickles are faster and easier to make than canned pickles, a less intimidating kitchen project, and just as delicious. So what if they don’t last as long – if you’re going to eat them all right away anyway, then there’s no need to worry about their shelf life.

I’ve already gotten myself addicted to quick-pickled cucumbers and quick-pickled red onion, and now I can add pickled jalapeños to the list. They’re simple to make and they’ll last quite a while in the fridge, even without actually canning them.

Not that I ever really snack on them right out of the jar – like I do with the red onions, but once you have them in your fridge, you start to come up with all sorts of possibilities: blend them into hummus or salsa, dice them into guacamole, sprinkle them over nachos, use them to garnish a cocktail, layer them onto a sandwich, and the list goes on.

And whether you’re a flavored hummus connoisseur, or whether you’re a purist who thinks flavored hummus shouldn’t exist, if you are in the percentage of the population that’s genetically not opposed to cilantro, and if you love the tangy bite of green jalapeño peppers, then I implore you to give this recipe a try.

We had some friends visiting from out of town the weekend I took these photos, and as we snacked on the hummus together afterwards, one of them may have said that it was the best hummus he had ever tasted. Of course it probably helped that he had never tasted Ottolenghi and Tamimi’s creamy hummus recipe from “Jerusalem” before, but the jalapeño and cilantro had a lot to do with it, too.

I don’t mean to brag, but it was even better than the Trader Joe’s version. And now Paula doesn’t think I’m crazy anymore.

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RECIPES:

Quick-Pickled Jalapeños

(Makes 1.5 pints, or about 3 cups)

Active time: 10 minutes; Total time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
~ 10-15 green jalapeño peppers (about 1 lb.)
~ 1 cup distilled white vinegar
~ ½ cup water
~ 2 cloves garlic, halved
~ 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
~ 1 tsp. coriander seeds (optional)
~ pinch of sugar

How to make it:

1. Rinse and dry jalapeños, then slice them so that they are somewhere between ⅛- and ¼-inch thick. Optionally remove all of the seeds to make them less spicy, or leave some/all of them in for more spice.

2. Add all of the other ingredients to a large stockpot and bring them to a boil. Once boiling, add the jalapeño slices, give them a stir, and boil for 1 minute. Then remove from the heat and let the jalapeños cool in the pickling liquid – while they are cooling you will notice them change from bright green to a paler, yellowish green.

3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the jalapeños to a jar or other airtight container, then pour the pickling liquid and spices over to cover the peppers – this works best with a tall, narrow jar, rather than a wide, shallow container. Discard any extra brine beyond that. Store in the fridge for up to several months.

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Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus
(Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi)

(Serves 8 as an appetizer)

Active time: 15 minutes; Total time: 45 minutes plus overnight.

Ingredients:
~ 1 cup dried chickpeas
~ 1 tsp. baking soda
~ 5 cups water
~ ¼ cup tahini
~ 3-4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
~ ½ bunch cilantro
~ about 12 pickled jalapeño slices (or to taste)
~ 1 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)
~ 5-6 Tbsp. cold water

How to make it:

1. Place the dried chickpeas in a large stock pot, cover them with water (fill the stockpot up about halfway), and allow them to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.

2. Drain away the chickpea soaking water (it’s okay if there’s still a few drops left in the pot), add the baking soda to the chickpeas, and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Keep at a strong simmer, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that rises to the top, for 20-30 minutes, or until chickpeas are very soft. Drain excess water away from the chickpeas.

3. Allow chickpeas to cool a bit, then transfer them to a food processor, and add the tahini and lemon juice, and blend until it starts to look smooth. Then blend in the cilantro, and gradually blend in jalapeño slices and salt to taste.

4. Once it’s seasoned to taste, drizzle in the cold water while the food processor is running – this will give the hummus an even smoother, creamier texture. Taste again and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a few days; it tastes best at room temperature.

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Homemade Pita Bread & Greek Yogurt Hummus	Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Muhammara	Quick-Pickled Red Onion & Mustard Potato Salad	Avocado Hummus