Peter Piper...

I was insanely excited last night when I hopped on Craigslist and found that someone had just listed canning jars for $25.  I was all out of empty ones, so I'd intended to buy new ones this week.  I came home with 6 cases of quarts, 4 cases of pints, and some 12 oz jelly jars for $25!

The first thing I needed to tackle were the peppers (have I mentioned how many we have?  We only have 2 bell plants, one cayenne, and one jalapeno plant, but they are STILL blossoming!)  I decided I'd try pickling some of them for Dad's for Christmas, since I am running out of ideas.

While searching for recipes, many people mentioned that canning them turns them to mush, so I decided NOT to process them and simply store them in the fridge.  I used this recipe (scroll down for the Marinated Refrigerator Peppers/)

While the jars were getting washed and sterilized, I chopped the peppers.  I used a mixture of jalapeno and cayenne.

Then, I brought 5 c white vinegar, 1 c water, and 1 TBL pickling salt to a boil.  Then, turn it down to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Fill jars with peppers, packing tightly.  Then, fill with the brine, making sure all the peppers are covered in liquid.  Place lids on, but not bands.  Let cool. 

Screw on bands and store in the fridge for up to 6 months.

They really are beautiful, and with the red and green they will be perfect for Christmas!  This recipe made 4 12-oz jars, so that would be 6 pints or 3 quarts.