Summer Garden in a Jar

From the Pepperfool website and Canadian Living. Beautiful and really tasty!

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: Makes 20 pints or 10 quarts

Ingredients

4 cups sliced carrots
4 cups green beans in 1″ slices
10 cups cauliflower flowerettes (small pieces)
2 onions — cut into thin rings
4 cups sweet green bell pepper — cut into 1″ pieces
6 cups sweet red bell pepper — cut into 1″ pieces
4 cups celery sticks (2 x 1/2 inch)
2 cups pickling salt
12 cups water
12 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
2 tsp. coriander seeds
1/3 cup celery seeds
1/3 cup mustard seeds
2 Tbsp. turmeric
1 cup pitted black olives
30 dried cayenne peppers

Directions

In a preserving kettle, combine carrots, beans, cauliflower, onions, celery, green bell peppers and red bell peppers. Sprinkle with salt and mix well with your hands; add water. Cover with a plate and let stand for at least 8 hours but the best results come when left overnight.

Stir periodically.

The next morning, drain and rinse under cold running water. This should be done about three times. After the last rinse, let drain thoroughly in a large colander for 1 hour.

In a kettle, combine vinegar, sugar and spices tied in a cheesecloth bag. Bring to a boil and let boil 5 minutes. Add the drained vegetables and olives. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes at the most. (Make sure that this is JUST simmering or else the veggies will be cooked TOO MUCH and taste terrible – all soft and mushy and ugly! The veggies should be JUST crisp-tender.)

Pack the veggies into hot, sterile jars; ladle liquid over the veggies, leaving 1/8″ headspace. Distribute the
spices from the bag evenly between the jars. Add two dried cayenne peppers to each pint at this time. You may add as many of whatever kind you would like, in place of the cayennes.

Seal immediately and tighten lids finger-tight. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes for pints or 20 minutes for quarts. When done, remove from the water and cool on counter. When cold, label, date and store in a cool, dry, dark place.

Let stand for 6 weeks before using.

Categories: BWB Pickles & Pickled Stuff, BWB Vegetables, Vegan, Vegetarian

Submitted by: wvhomecanner on April 20, 2010