Banana Peppers Stuffed With Vienna Sausages (Or Hot Dogs)

The heat and flavor of the peppers blends with the sausages and tomato sauce. We eat these like pickles or as appetizers. I also give the jars as Christmas gifts. The green peppers in the red sauce makes for a colorful gift. The recipe originally came from my ex-grandmother-in-law.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 4 quarts

Ingredients

• 1  quart tomato juice
• 2  cups vinegar
• 3  cups sugar
• 2 (32 ounce) bottles ketchup
• 2  garlic cloves
• 4  lbs  vienna sausages (or hot dogs)
• 1  gallon  whole banana pepper (hot or sweet)

Directions

1. Mix tomato juice, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and garlic.
2. Cook 30 Minutes.
3. Cut stem end off of banana peppers and remove seeds (use rubber gloves if making hot peppers).
4. Stuff 1 Vienna sausage (or hot dog) into each pepper.
5. Pack peppers tightly into pint or quart jars.
6. Bring sauce to boiling.
7. Pour over peppers.
8. Wipe rims of jar with a clean cloth; place llids and screw on rings fingertip-tight.
9. Set the jars on lids for 5 minutes and then set right-side up until lids pop.**.
10. **This is an heirloom recipe that uses the inversion method, which is no longer recommended by the USDA/NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation) because it can affect the ability of the lid to form a good, secure seal to the jar. Current guidelines recommend pressure canning items containing meat for optimum shelf-stable storage safety, but at the very least the jars should be processed in a boiling water bath and left to cool, upright and undisturbed, on a cloth-protected counter for 24 hours. Check for seal and if the jar hasn't sealed, either re-process the jars within the 24 hours or refrigerate and use first.