Sweet & Sour Pickled Sweet Peppers

Sweet and Sour Pickled Sweet Peppers


3 pounds red, green, yellow and/or orange sweet peppers, sliced into bite size strips or rings
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
4 cups sugar
4 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 cloves garlic, smashed
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Combine pepper strips and onions in large bowl.  Set aside. In cooking pot combine all other ingredients.  Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt.  Reduce heat to low.  Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.  Discard garlic and bay leaves.  Pack pepper-onion mixture into hot sterilized pint canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Pour hot vinegar mixture into jars, maintaining the 1/2 inch head space.  Discard any remaining vinegar mixture.  Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.  Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling).  Remove jars from canner.  Cool on wire racks.  Wait for the "ping" sound of sealed jars. Rejoice.  Enjoy.  Makes 7 pints.