When aj and i first moved to wisconsin, before we had children, one summer we went on a drive to Door county, making stops along the way a little mom + pop shops, antique spots, and to photograph wildflowers. We stopped at this roadside market and its shelves were lined with canned goods, everything from jams, to relishes to pickled items. I had never seen anything like this growing up in california, taken aback by pickled beets, peppers, and dilly beans as they are called here. 

When it comes to food preservation, pickling is not quite my jam, but i’m always up for kitchen experiments. If you've been here for a while, you must know, I love jams, but living in the Midwest, I've grown to admire and value the necessity and art of pickling. 

Aj likes spicy foods, especially peppers, so I'm making these home-style jalapenos for him and our upcoming summer cookouts on the back porch.

Pickling is preserving, most commonly vegetables, in an acidic brine with some combination of salt water, sugar water, lemon juice or vinegar. The basic methods of pickling include quick pickling, salt brine, vinegar brine and fermentation. 

Pickling doesn’t just mean cucumbers, you can pickle beets, squash, green beans, rhubarb, the list goes on.

The somewhat sour flavor of pickling was a taste I had to acquire over time, but now I love it and find myself craving it. It stimulates digestion and is good for gut health. When pickling I prefer to use a Ball® jar with a shoulder to keep smaller cut vegetables submerged, like the Ball® regular mouth pint jar. 

Home-style jalapeños

Recipe: makes about 6 pint jars

Ingredients

3 1/2 lb. (1.6 kg) jalapeño peppers, seeded and quartered

1 cup (250 mL) thinly sliced white onion

2 large carrots, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups (625 mL) white vinegar (5% acidity)

2 1/2 cups (625 mL) water

2 Tbsp. (30 mL) Ball® Salt for Pickling & Preserving

1 Tbsp. (15 mL) sugar

6 garlic cloves, crushed

Ball® Pickle Crisp (optional)

directions

Prepare a boiling water canner. Wash and heat jars in simmering water until ready to use, do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.

prep:

Put on gloves, and cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Cut halves in half lengthwise to create long strips. Place jalapeño strips in a large bowl. Add onion and carrot; toss well.

Combine vinegar and next 3 ingredients in a large stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Place 1 crushed garlic clove in a hot jar, and pack jar tightly with vegetable mixture,  leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Add 1⁄8 tsp. Ball® Pickle Crisp to jar, if desired. Ladle hot pickling liquid over vegetables, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place jar in boiling- water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Process jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed.