Why You Should Never Buy Pickled Jalapeños, According To Andrew Zimmern

Crank up the heat! Chef Andrew Zimmern is making homemade pickled jalapeños, and he thinks you should be too. Zimmern is famous for his many TV shows, including the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods" franchise, "Andrew Zimmern's Driven by Food," and his latest program, "Family Dinner," currently streaming on the Magnolia Network (via Zimmern's official site). And now the chef is gaining even more notoriety for his stance on homemade pickled jalapeños versus the jarred variety. Zimmern recently took to Instagram to advocate for making pickled jalapeños from scratch. This way, he suggests, you'll always have a stash on hand in your refrigerator to accompany various dishes.

In a photo he shared of himself holding pickled jalapeños in a glass jar, Zimmern wrote the following caption on Instagram: "Trade in your jarred jalapeño rings for this super easy quick pickle. Trust me, they're far superior to their store-bought counterpart." But that's not all. Zimmern also lists the foods and ingredients that pair well with the pickled jalapeños, like sandwiches, nachos, scrambled eggs, chili and stew, tacos, burritos, and grilled chicken or pork. As if that weren't enough reason to whip up your own, Zimmern also suggests that recipe options are endless for spice lovers. 

Zimmern's recipe for pickled jalapeños is so simple and tasty that you'll find yourself ditching the store-bought brands forever. In an instructional video posted on his official site, Zimmern starts by slicing up fresh jalapeños and placing them in a jar. He then adds two cloves of garlic, a quartered shallot, a lemon slice, and thyme. In a separate pot, he heats a mixture of rice wine vinegar, salt, and sugar, stirring as it heats to dissolve the sugar. Once the liquid mixture is ready, he pours it into the jar with the jalapeños, lets it cool, then places the jar in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours. Voila! You'll have enough pickled jalapeños to spice up your favorite dishes for weeks or days, depending on your level of passion for the fiery pepper.

"I love making this stuff," Zimmern says in the video. "And your friends are going to love it too, and your family will thank you." Well, we're certainly grateful for the tip.