Chiles En Vinagre(Pickled Chiles)

The traditional vegetables-carrots, cauliflower florets, zucchini, and jicama-may be added to this HOT pickle!

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 2  lbs serrano chilies
• 6  cups cider vinegar
•  salt
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano
• 4  bay leaves
• 3  black peppercorns
• 1  clove
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3  sprigs fresh thyme
• 3  sprigs fresh marjoram
• 1  lime, zest of, grated
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 2  medium  white onions, peeled, sliced
• 6  garlic cloves, peeled

Directions

1. Rinse the chiles, and pierce them with a fork; set aside.
2. Place the vinegar, 1 tbls. salt, oregano, bay leaves, peppercorns, clove, giinger, cinnamon, thyme, marjoram, and lime zest into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil pickling liquid for 5 minutes, then add chiles and boil for 3 more minutes. Drain the chiles in a colander set over a bowl. Strain pickling liquid through a sieve into a large glass jar(or ceramic), discarding the solids. Discard the herbs from the chiles and add chiles to the pickling liquid.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until browned, 10-15 minutes. Add the onions to jar with chiles.
4. Set the jar aside to let pickling liquid cool. Adjust seasonings now. Cover the jar and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Chiles will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
5. Or you may can:
6. Place chiles and whatever vegetables you may be adding in sterile canning jars and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.