Pickled Hot Peppers

Having brought in many hot peppers that were still in the garden in preparation for a hard freeze and snow, I decided to try pickling the bounty. This recipe is lightly adapted from one in a book called Put 'Em Up by Sherry Brooks Vinton.

2 lbs hot peppers, stemmed and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
3 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
2 1/4 cups water
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar

Have ready 9 hot, freshly washed half-pint jars. Make sure you have new lids; boil them in a small saucepan then let them sit in the hot water. While you prepare the peppers and bring, bring a large pot of water to a boil for canning.

Pack the sliced peppers into the jars, leaving 1/2-inch headroom. The recipe in Put 'Em Up said 2 lbs would make for 4 pints, but I found it produced an extra half pint (and I needed to make just a little more brine to go with it, which I have accounted for in the ingredients above).

Combine the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.

Using a funnel, ladle the brine over the peppers in the jars until they are covered, leaving 1/4-inch headroom at the top.

Carefully place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings, not too tight. Place the jars in the pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool on a rack. Once they are cooled and sealed they can be stored in a cool dark place. Any jars that do not seal should be refrigerated and used promptly.

Makes 8-9 half pints.