How do you make Italian Giardiniera made with various hot and sweet peppers, vinegar and oil?

Question

This also has other vegetables and can be kept for a long time unrefrigerated. Not sure if it has to be canned in a hot bath or not.

Answer 1

Giardiniera
These Italian pickled vegetables can be made when there is plenty of fresh produce on hand and will keep several weeks when refrigerated. You can "put up" or can the giardiniera, in jars for use in the winter months. There is no exact recipe. You can use whatever you have. In the old days we also picked both the wild mustard and wild fennel seeds out in the Sonoma Countryside, but you can buy them in stores, of course.

6 to 10 carrots, peeled can cut into halves and 2 inch length
sweet peppers cut in pieces
a few hot peppers seeded and in pieces
1 cauliflower in pieces
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut in 1 inch pieces
2 pounds small boiling onions peeled and crosshatched on bottom
about 12 small green tomatoes
2 quarts white vinegar
4 quarts water
11/2 cups honey
1/3 cup mustard seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon celery seeds
2 tablespoons peppercorns
2 or 3 cloves garlic (optional)
# Put the vinegar, water, honey, mustard, fennel, and celery seeds, peppercorns into anon reactive pot and boil for 5 minutes. Skim off any foam.
# Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes at the boil.
# Add carrots, celery, and cauliflower and boil for 5 more minutes.
# Add tomatoes and peppers and cook three minutes longer. You can add mushrooms at this point if you have them.
# Get some clean snap lid jars if you are going to refrigerate or canning jars which you have sterilized with boiling water in either case.
# Pour out water and ladle in vegetables Put a clove or two of garlic in each jar. Ladle in liquid to cover.
# Store in refrigerator for at least a week before serving.

If you are "canning" the jars, process according to manufacturers directions. These jars are lovely looking on a kitchen shelf.