I don't usually use pure vinegar. I use a pickling brine made up of 250 ml vinegar, 750 ml water, and 125 g pickling salt. Bring it to a boil and allow to cool.

Next I make a slit in my chiles to allow the brine into the peppers. At the bottom of each jar, I put a bay leaf or two, a few grams of mustard seed, and half a dozen peppercorns (you may leave any of this out if you like, but I enjoy the additional flavor it adds to the pickled chiles.) Next, pack the slit chiles into the jars. Be firm, but gentle because if you pack them too tightly they will bruise. Then pour overall with the warm brine, cap, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. For a "non-cooked" pepper you can keep them in the fridge without processing. They will still float a little, but it won't be too bad, and they certainly won't bob about at the top of the liquid.

FWIW, this brine and method also work great for sweet peppers. I preserve red bell peppers this way for "sandwich toppers" (add some garlic to the jar before processing).

From: Homestyle Mexican Cooking A book by Lourdes Nichols
Posted By: Chile Head Mailing List
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