Pickled Jalapenos

Step 1

Bring a very large pot of water to a full boil. Sterilize your canning jars and lids by boiling in the water for 10 minutes (or with the sterilize setting on your dishwasher).

Step 2

Use a jar lifter or tongs to remove the hot jars from the water. I like to line them up on a clean kitchen towel.

Step 3

Place an oregano sprig (or a pinch of dried oregano), a garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds in each sterilized jar. Slice the jalapenos and pack them into the jars.

Step 4

Combine the white vinegar, cider vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.

Step 5

Immediately pour the brine over the peppers (a canning funnel in handy here), leaving 1/2" head space at the top of each jar. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rim of each jar. The rim needs to be clean for the lid to seal properly.

Step 6

Place the lids and screw tops on the jars. Bring the water in the pot back to a full boil. Use the tongs or jar lifter to lower the jars into the water. Make sure there is enough water to cover the jars by at least an inch. Cover the pot and bring back to a boil. Once the water comes back to a boil start your timer.

Step 7

Process the jars for 10 minutes. Use the jar lifter or tongs to remove the jars. Place them on a kitchen towel to cool. Do no retighten the screw tops or the lids may not seal. As the jars cool and the lids seal you'll probably hear a little "pop". You should see the circle in the middle of the lid indented rather than popped up.

Step 8

Once the jars are completely cooled unscrew the tops and check that the lids are firmly sealed. If any lids don't properly seal, refrigerate and eat those peppers first.