Hot and easy: Quick-pickled jalapeños

There’s nothing like the slap of heat and bracing acidity of a pickled pepper.

While you can buy a jar for a few dollars at any supermarket, I’ve gotten into the habit of quick-pickling my own jalapeños. It takes only a few minutes, lets me support my local farmers and gives me room to play around with the easy recipe.

Here’s the process: Slice jalapeños into rounds. You could pluck out the seeds, but I leave them in for extra heat. Put the slices into a clean jar, add vinegar, water, salt and — if you want to tame the chiles’ spice — a bit of sugar, though this is optional. Seal the lid tight, and shake it up, to give the salt and sugar a chance to dissolve. Then, leave the jar in your fridge for around 8 hours. That’s it.

QUICK-PICKLED JALAPEÑOS

Total time: 5 minutes, plus 8 hours of pickling time’; makes: about 2 cups of pickled jalapeños

4 medium jalapeños (about 8 ounces total), sliced into ⅛- to ¼-inch thick rounds

½ cup white vinegar, plus more as needed

½ cup water

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon fine sea salt or table salt

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)

Preparation: In a clean 16- to 20-ounce jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the jalapeño slices, ½ cup vinegar, water, salt and sugar, if using. If necessary, use a fork to help the jalapeño slices fit tightly into the jar. If the liquid doesn’t completely cover the jalapeños, add more vinegar until it does.

Tightly seal the jar and give it a few good shakes. Refrigerate the pickled jalapeños for at least 8 hours before using.