# Cowboy Candy  (Via East Texas)



## Bearcarver (Nov 4, 2020)

*Cowboy Candy  (Via East Texas)*​


I got this Cowboy Candy from my Texas Buddy, “Gary S”.

I never had it before & it’s really Tasty. 
It’s a little hot for my Yankee “Tater-Trap”, so I have to be a little careful how I do it.
I ate some just by itself, and after awhile it got a little much for me to handle.

So I ate some with a couple Deerburgers, and some with a couple Pulled Pork Sammies.
I found it works even better if I have the Cowboy Candy on the side, so I can regulate it better.
That way one bite of burger won’t have a whole bunch of pieces & another bite has none.

I also used a method I used in the past, with other Hot Peppers, by putting some in a Sammy of American Cheese & Butter. It seems the Cheese & Butter protects the inside of my Mouth, among other body parts.

So check the pics below for what I’m talking about.


Bear



Ready for a Pulled Pork Sammy, with "Cowboy Candy"(on the left):







First some of Jeff's Awesome BBQ Sauce:






A nice big Pile of Pulled Pork:






Some Cowboy Candy & a Dill Spear on the side:






A good Dose of Cowboy Candy surrounded by Butter & American Cheese:


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## TNJAKE (Nov 4, 2020)

Nice. I love the stuff. Perfect for a pulled pork sandwich


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## forktender (Nov 4, 2020)

Big like, I go through 1 pint a week down here in Norcal. Bear try dicing some up and mixing it into some soft cream cheese. It's awesome on toasted bagels or used as a spread on crackers or a blob in your favorite chili.
At Thanksgiving and Christmas I dice up 1/2 pint and mix into a good size tub of cream cheese and put it out with crackers...it's always gone by the end of the meal. I save a small container to spread on turkey stuffing and cranberry sandwiches that I take to the duck blind the next day . My favorite way to use it is on burgers hotdogs or on my canned albacore tuna sandwiches.


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## tx smoker (Nov 4, 2020)

Well well well...looks like the secret is out    That stuff is amazing!! We keep it on hand at all times. Works great as part of an appetizer as 

 forktender
 stated or as a side as you've done. I found it about 25 years ago when I moved to TX and have not stopped eating it since. There are many different renditions of it and I've not had one yet that I didn't like. For those of you that may be interested, this is where I got it the first time, and have gotten it a bunch of times since. This store is nothing short of amazing!! They have everything from locally made sweet stuff to some of the hottest sauces on the planet....and a HUGE variety of stuff.It's well worth the look if you have a couple minutes to check it out.



			rustlin robs - Google Search
		


Big LIKE on your use of the peppers Bear!!
Robert


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## civilsmoker (Nov 4, 2020)

Now that is how candy should be handed out....vs what was handed a few days ago.  Love a classic pulled pork with tasty treats for sure!


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## gary s (Nov 4, 2020)

Glad you are enjoying it my Northern Friend.   Like everybody is telling you, this stuff is good on and in everything.. We are still getting Jalapeños maybe another couple of batches.

Gary


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## 73saint (Nov 4, 2020)

I've got to make this stuff!  Anyone care to share a good recipe?  I've seen them floating around would love to try one.


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## Steve H (Nov 4, 2020)

tx smoker said:


> Well well well...looks like the secret is out    That stuff is amazing!! We keep it on hand at all times. Works great as part of an appetizer as
> 
> forktender
> stated or as a side as you've done. I found it about 25 years ago when I moved to TX and have not stopped eating it since. There are many different renditions of it and I've not had one yet that I didn't like. For those of you that may be interested, this is where I got it the first time, and have gotten it a bunch of times since. This store is nothing short of amazing!! They have everything from locally made sweet stuff to some of the hottest sauces on the planet....and a HUGE variety of stuff.It's well worth the look if you have a couple minutes to check it out.
> ...



There's stuff on that site I've never heard of. Or heard of. But never seen.  Where's that CC?
That sammie looks great Bear!


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## gary s (Nov 4, 2020)

Here you go Steve

Pa-Pa’s

Almost

World Famous

Cowboy Candy

aka

Sweet-Hot Jalapeno’s​




Ingredients

3 pounds Firm, Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, Washed

2 cups Cider Vinegar

6 cups White Granulated Sugar

½ teaspoons Turmeric

½ teaspoons Celery Seed

3 teaspoons Chopped Garlic



Preparation Instructions



Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers. The easiest way to do this is to slice a small disc off of the stem-end along with the stem. Discard the stems.

Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.( I like the ¼ inch)

In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed and granulated garlic to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pepper slices and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes. (Till peppers start to turn army green. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar. I take the remaining syrup and pour through a strainer, (Just to get rid of some of the seeds) Return Syrup to pot, turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil.

Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices. Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.

If you do not want to can these to the point of shelf stable, you can simply put the jars in your refrigerator and store them there If you wish to can them, follow the instructions below.

Note: If you have leftover syrup, and it is likely that you will, you may can it in half-pint or pint jars, too. It’s wonderful brushed on meat on the grill or added to potato salad or, or, or … in short, don’t toss it out!

To can, place jars in a canner and cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth, then label.

Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. If you Can !!!!



Gary


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## Steve H (Nov 4, 2020)

Thanks 

 gary s
 ! I'm going to do this soon.


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## smokerjim (Nov 4, 2020)

Looks tasty bear, we must be wimps up here in pa I can't handle to much heat either!


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## chopsaw (Nov 4, 2020)

Looks good !


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## jcam222 (Nov 4, 2020)

I bet those are tasty!! I do something similar in my sugar free bread and butter brine. Love sweet hot.


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## MJB05615 (Nov 5, 2020)

Looks good Bear!  I can't handle a lot of heat anymore myself, but would try this, and maybe cut the heat a little.


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## SmokinAl (Nov 5, 2020)

Looks real good Bear!
And thanks 

 gary s
 for posting the recipe for CC.
I’m gonna make some for sure!
Al


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## Bearcarver (Nov 5, 2020)

TNJAKE said:


> Nice. I love the stuff. Perfect for a pulled pork sandwich



Thank You Jake!!

Bear




forktender said:


> Big like, I go through 1 pint a week down here in Norcal. Bear try dicing some up and mixing it into some soft cream cheese. It's awesome on toasted bagels or used as a spread on crackers or a blob in your favorite chili.
> At Thanksgiving and Christmas I dice up 1/2 pint and mix into a good size tub of cream cheese and put it out with crackers...it's always gone by the end of the meal. I save a small container to spread on turkey stuffing and cranberry sandwiches that I take to the duck blind the next day . My favorite way to use it is on burgers hotdogs or on my canned albacore tuna sandwiches.



Thanks FT, especially for those Tips. 
I'll be trying some.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Nov 5, 2020)

tx smoker said:


> Well well well...looks like the secret is out    That stuff is amazing!! We keep it on hand at all times. Works great as part of an appetizer as
> 
> forktender
> stated or as a side as you've done. I found it about 25 years ago when I moved to TX and have not stopped eating it since. There are many different renditions of it and I've not had one yet that I didn't like. For those of you that may be interested, this is where I got it the first time, and have gotten it a bunch of times since. This store is nothing short of amazing!! They have everything from locally made sweet stuff to some of the hottest sauces on the planet....and a HUGE variety of stuff.It's well worth the look if you have a couple minutes to check it out.
> ...




Thank You Robert!!
I love the flavor of this stuff, but like I said, I kinda have to dilute it with other foods, probably because I never had so much hot stuff up here in PA. We're short on Mexican cooks & such up here. Pennsylvania Dutch aren't generally into much hot stuff.
If I eat it plain, I'm good for awhile, but it catches up with me.
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Nov 5, 2020)

civilsmoker said:


> Now that is how candy should be handed out....vs what was handed a few days ago.  Love a classic pulled pork with tasty treats for sure!



Thank You Civil !!

Bear




gary s said:


> Glad you are enjoying it my Northern Friend.   Like everybody is telling you, this stuff is good on and in everything.. We are still getting Jalapeños maybe another couple of batches.
> 
> Gary



Thank You Gary!!
And Thanks for the Candy!!
This stuff will last me a long time----I only eat a little at a time, because it's a little hot for me, but also because it tastes so good, I want it to last awhile.
And Thanks for the Like, too.

Bear


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## chef jimmyj (Nov 5, 2020)

Looks good John. I was going to comment that my local store stopped carrying Cowboy Candy and I needed to make some. Thanks Gary for the Recipe, saves research time, as I trust you and the guys  here...JJ


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## forktender (Nov 6, 2020)

For those of you with a   Trader Joe's  near you they sell bread and butter jap's that are essentially the same as cowboy candy. (they are near the relish and pickled peppers around here.)
I eat them straight out of the jar, but they are great on burgers, dog's, sandwiches  in chili you name it they are excellent as well.


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## pa42phigh (Nov 6, 2020)

Nice job bear I love that cowboy candy mmmm


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## forktender (Nov 6, 2020)

Steve H said:


> Thanks
> 
> gary s
> ! I'm going to do this soon.


Steve, any bread and butter pickle recipe will work great seeing that is essentially what cowboy candy Jap's are. You and use any peppers that you want as well if you want more heat. I use red and green Fresno's & Serrano's whenever I make up a batch of theJap's for a little more heat, and they are amazing. Trust me the stuff is addicting.

PS. always add a dry chili or two to your jars, it looks nice and give it a little more flavor.
I add  these to each jar.


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## zwiller (Nov 6, 2020)

forktender said:


> At Thanksgiving and Christmas I dice up 1/2 pint and mix into a good size tub of cream cheese and put it out with crackers...i


Mind blown.  My uncle make something very similar to this and I always give a cracker a swipe of cream cheese and a few slicer but it's messy...  Mix them together GENIUS!


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## Bearcarver (Nov 6, 2020)

73saint said:


> I've got to make this stuff!  Anyone care to share a good recipe?  I've seen them floating around would love to try one.



Gary's recipe & Step by step is on Post #9.

Bear




Steve H said:


> There's stuff on that site I've never heard of. Or heard of. But never seen.  Where's that CC?
> That sammie looks great Bear!



Thank You Steve!!
Check on Post # 9, above.
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Nov 6, 2020)

gary s said:


> Here you go Steve
> 
> Pa-Pa’s
> 
> ...




Thank You Gary!!
And Thanks for posting the Recipe.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Nov 7, 2020)

smokerjim said:


> Looks tasty bear, we must be wimps up here in pa I can't handle to much heat either!



Thank You Jim!!
I think you got that right about us Yankees!!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## gmc2003 (Nov 7, 2020)

That pulled pork sammie looks outstanding Bear. I like the heat and I bet some of that CC minced up would be good in pork shots. 

Point for sure
Chris



 gary s
 thanks for posting the recipe.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 8, 2020)

chopsaw said:


> Looks good !



Thank You Rich!!
And for the Like.

Bear



jcam222 said:


> I bet those are tasty!! I do something similar in my sugar free bread and butter brine. Love sweet hot.



Thank You Jcam!!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Nov 8, 2020)

MJB05615 said:


> Looks good Bear!  I can't handle a lot of heat anymore myself, but would try this, and maybe cut the heat a little.



Thank You Mike!!
I'm a little bit on the Wimp side on heat---It just isn't a big thing in PA, at least in my part of PA.
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear



SmokinAl said:


> Looks real good Bear!
> And thanks
> 
> gary s
> ...



Thanks for the Like, Al.
Give us a yell to how you like it, Al !!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Nov 8, 2020)

chef jimmyj said:


> Looks good John. I was going to comment that my local store stopped carrying Cowboy Candy and I needed to make some. Thanks Gary for the Recipe, saves research time, as I trust you and the guys  here...JJ




Thank You Jimmy!!
Yup, you can trust recipes we find on SMF.

Bear


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## disco (Nov 8, 2020)

Looks like great stuff! Big like!


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## Bearcarver (Nov 8, 2020)

forktender said:


> For those of you with a   Trader Joe's  near you they sell bread and butter jap's that are essentially the same as cowboy candy. (they are near the relish and pickled peppers around here.)
> I eat them straight out of the jar, but they are great on burgers, dog's, sandwiches  in chili you name it they are excellent as well.




I gotta try grinding some of these finer, and try them on a Cheesesteak or a couple burgers.
BTW: If Peter Piper picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers, how many Peppers did Peter Piper Pick???

Bear


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## MJB05615 (Nov 8, 2020)

A peck is 8 dry quarts.  I'm not that smart, was curious, so I looked it up.  LOL.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 9, 2020)

MJB05615 said:


> A peck is 8 dry quarts.  I'm not that smart, was curious, so I looked it up.  LOL.




Thanks Mike!
LOL---That's pretty smart:
I've been asking that question for years, and that's the first answer I ever got.
I guess now it depends on the sizes of the peppers to find out how many Peppers Peter Piper Picked.


Bear


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## MJB05615 (Nov 9, 2020)

Bearcarver said:


> Thanks Mike!
> LOL---That's pretty smart:
> I've been asking that question for years, and that's the first answer I ever got.
> I guess now it depends on the sizes of the peppers to find out how many Peppers Peter Piper Picked.
> ...


Right, how many peppers are in a peck?  That's a question for the ages.  LOL.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 9, 2020)

MJB05615 said:


> Right, how many peppers are in a peck?  That's a question for the ages.  LOL.




That used to be a "Tongue Twister":
And I used to tell it to Bear Jr, when he was just a little Fellah.
Then He used to ask me how many, and I'd always tell him "5,280".
That's how he learned how many feet were in a mile.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Nov 9, 2020)

Johnny Ray
 ---Thank You for the Like.

Bear


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## ironhorse07 (Dec 31, 2020)

try it on top of a wheat thin cracker with a smear of cream cheese, balances it out great


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## Bearcarver (Dec 31, 2020)

ironhorse07 said:


> try it on top of a wheat thin cracker with a smear of cream cheese, balances it out great




Thank You ironhorse!!

Bear


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