Giardiniera (Pickled Vegetables)

Wash jars, rims, and lids in warm, soapy water. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars while they are standing up. Boil jars and rims for at least 10 minutes before filling them. DO NOT boil lids, as this will compromise their sealing ability.

Wash vegetables. Peel carrots and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut cucumbers into 1/2-inch pieces and discard or mulch the ends of the cucumbers. The blossom ends of cucumbers contain an enzyme that can cause the vegetables to become soft and mushy when canned. Cut bell peppers, removing their stems and membranes, then cutting them into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut cauliflower into small florets. Slice the celery into 1-inch pieces widthwise. Slice jalapenos into 1/4-inch coin slices. Slice onion into half-moon slivers. If you don't like jalapenos, you can reduce or eliminate them. Also, you can remove the membranes and seeds of the jalapenos to tame the heat.

Make the brine. In a very large stainless-steel pot add vinegar. The reason why stainless steel is utilized, is because aluminum and other materials can leave behind a metallic taste. Make sure you are using 5% vinegar as the other vinegars under 5% are not strong enough for food preservation. Add salt and sugar to the vinegar on high heat. Bring the vinegar to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once sugar and salt have dissolved, add in ALL of the spices. Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes so that the flavors combine. Add in all of the vegetables and increase the heat to high just until boiling.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of pickle crisp to the bottom of the hot jars just before filling them and 5-6 peppercorns.

Drain the vegetables from the brine with a slotted spoon and save the brine. Keep the brine hot and start filling the hot jars with the vegetables.

Pour brine over the vegetables leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

With a bubble tool of butter knife, remove any air bubbles or air pockets from the jars.

Wipe the rims of the jars free of anything that might prevent them from sealing.

Place the lids and bands on the jars and fingertip tighten bands.

Carefully lower jars into the boiling water bath canner spacing them slightly from one another and from the canner walls. Water should be covering the tops of the jars by 1-2 inches. Place the lid on the canner. This is important, don't start counting your canning time until water is fully boiling and up to temperature. The following information is good for 1/2 pints, pints and quart jars. For elevation of 0-1,000 feet your processing time is 5 minutes for 1/2 pint and pint jars and 10 minutes for quart jars. For elevations of 1,001-6,000 feet your processing time is 10 minutes for 1/2 pint and pint jars and 15 minutes for quart jars. For elevations 6,000 feet and above your processing time is 15 minutes for 1/2 pint and pint jars and 20 minutes for quart jars. Once your time is up, turn off the heat and remove the canner from the heat source if possible. Remove lid and allow the jars to sit undisturbed in the water for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, carefully remove jars from the water bath and place on a kitchen towel lined countertop. Some jars can take hours to seal however most will seal within 30 minutes from being removed from the canner and some may even seal during the water bath canning process. Leave the jars undisturbed for at least 12 hours. Make sure that all the jars sealed by inspecting the tops as they should be sucked in. If any jars don't seal, refrigerate them. Wipe the jars with a damp towel. Write the contents and date on the sealed jars and store in a cool dry place for up to 18 months.

This can be enjoyed right away; however, it is better if you wait a week or two for the flavors to fully develop. Enjoy!