Recipe: Pickled Jalapeno Rings

PICKLED JALAPENO RINGS

3 pounds jalapeno peppers
11/2 cups pickling lime
11/2 gallons water
71/2 cups cider vinegar (5%)
13/4 cups water
21/2 tablespoons canning salt
3 tablespoons celery seed
6 tablespoons mustard seed

Yield: About 6 pint jars.

Caution: Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.

1. Wash peppers well and slice into 1/4" thick slices (a mandolin slicer works well). Discard stem end. Mix 11/2 cups pickling lime with 11/2 gallons water in a stainless steel, glass or food grade plastic container. Avoid inhaling lime dust while mixing the lime-water solution. Soak pepper slices in the lime water, in refrigerator, for 18 hours, stirring occasionally (12 to 24 hours may be used).

2. Drain lime solution from soaked pepper rings. Rinse peppers gently but thoroughly with water. Cover pepper rings with fresh cold water and soak, in refrigerator, 1 hour. Drain water from peppers.

3. Repeat the rinsing, soaking and draining steps two more times. Drain thoroughly at the end.

4. Wash and rinse pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions.

5. Place 1 tablespoon mustard seed and 11/2 teaspoons celery seed in the bottom of each clean, hot pint jar. Pack drained pepper rings into the jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

6. Bring cider vinegar, 13/4 cups water and canning salt to a boil over high heat. Ladle boiling hot brine solution over pepper rings in jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Make sure pepper rings are covered with brine.

7. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.

8. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 min. in pints or half pints. Let cool, undisturbed, 12 to 24 hours and check for seals.