Quick Pickled Peppers

Even Peter Piper couldn’t pickle a pepper faster than these babies turn out.  I had a few jalapenos leftover from making jalapeno jelly, so I put them to work in a bath of pickling spices.  I can’t wait to try these on a BBQ pizza, nachos or in chili.

• 1 + 1/4 C water
• 1 + 1/4 C distilled white vinegar
• 3 T white sugar
• 3 T kosher salt, this is NOT the same as iodized or table salt
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 tsp dried epazote
• 3 tsp dried cumin seeds, crushed a little
• 10 large jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings
• 2 large red bell peppers, sliced into strips

Directions

1. Combine water, vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, garlic, epazote, cumin seeds, and oregano in a saucepan over high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, stir in jalapeno and red peppers then remove from heat. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
2. Pack peppers into jars using tongs, cover with vinegar mixture, cover, and refrigerate until needed – should keep for up to 6 months.

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This recipe for me yielded 5 (12-oz) jelly jars full of peppers and pickling juice and 2 (12-oz) jars of extra juice that I dropped some baby carrots into for an experiment.

Adapted from Chef John