Spunky Pickled Peppers and Onions

Submitted by: NPR Broadcast

Pickled Peppers and Onions 

Gift Idea:
Seal in a mason jar wrapped with colorful ribbon or raffia. Pair with a few beautiful locally-made cheeses and a wooden cheese board.
 Note that this recipe makes extra pickling brine. I tend to do that each time I pickle; I keep the brine for quick pickling things like green beans and carrots.”

Ingredients:
2 cups distilled white vinegar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 pounds small bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
4 jalapeño peppers, stems and seeds removed, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions
Prepare and sterilize five pint-sized jars (or similar) and fresh lids for canning per the jar manufacturer’s instructions.
In a large soup pot, combine the vinegars, water, kosher salt, sugar, garlic, mustard seeds, and peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for a minute or two, until the sugar has dissolved completely.
Add the bell and jalapeño peppers and the onion to the brine, stir, and let cook over the lowest heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the red onion begins to lose its color and the jalapeños are a darker shade of green.
Using tongs, pack the peppers and onions into the sterilized jars. Pour the hot brine over the peppers and onions in each jar, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace. Use a wooden chopstick to poke and stir the ingredients (to encourage any bubbles to escape). Add more brine, if necessary.
Wipe the rim of each jar carefully with a clean cloth. Apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, again using the jar manufacturer’s directions.

Here are some hints about onions

There'll be tears before sundown all over the place as you try out dishes from this Food on Friday.  Yes, it's about Onions.

Onions go well with:

Barbecued meat	Bay leaves	Bread
Butter	Cheese	Cream
Eggs	Garlic	Milk
Olive oil	Olives	Pastry
Potatoes	Roasted meat	Rosemary
Sausages	Stews	Tomatoes
Wine

Spring onions (or scallions) go well with

Asparagus	Bean curd	Beef
Chicken	Fish	Garlic
Ginger	Noodles	Pork
Rice	Shellfish	Soy sauce