Step 1

Prep. Thoroughly wash the jalapeños. Wear disposable gloves when cutting and handling hot peppers and safety glasses are not a bad idea. Think you're a tough guy and don't need the protection? Do it barehanded and then go take a leak. Then, while you're crying, wipe your eyes. But for goodness' sake, don't make love for 24 hours unless you've worn gloves. Once your protection is in place, cut off the top stem of each pepper then slice them into ⅛ inch (3.2 mm) rings, unless you are afraid they will be too hot. In this case, get a knife and reach down into the pepper with it and scrape off the white veins that hold the seeds (right). These veins also hold most of the heat. The seeds have some of the capsaicin, but not as much. Then rinse out the cavity and slice into ⅛ inch (3.2 mm) rings.

Step 2

Cook. Cook the sugar, vinegar, salt, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until it boils and stir until all the sugar has dissolved.Before you proceed, beware. When you add the peppers to the hot syrup they will off-gas capsaicin, a.k.a. pepper spray, almost the same stuff the riot police use. It can really fill the house with pepper gas. Please do not hover over the pan, and remember to turn on the overhead fan on your stove. I do the cooking on my grill or the side burner. I have found that an N95 surgical mask helps.Now add the peppers and the liquid will stop boiling. Wait for it to boil again, then turn it off after about 30 seconds. This will pasteurize the peppers. If you wish, leave it boil longer to reduce the spiciness. While the syrup is hot, use a slotted spoon to move the peppers into a very clean 12 ounce (29.6 ml) jar. Pack them in tight and pour in the syrup. Poke around with a fork until most of the air is gone, tighten the lid, and refrigerate. Keep refrigerated.

Step 3

Serve. After a few hours the jalapeños will start losing the bright green color and the peppers and the syrup will swap their fluids. You can dig in then, but if you wait a few days, you will be rewarded for your patience.