Homemade Giardiniera

Ingredients and prep, Day 1:

5 stalks celery, 1 inch length, wider halved
.33 pound baby carrots, halved short width
1 large onion, peeled, 12ths
1 head cauliflower, 1 inch florets and stalk
1 fennel bulb, cut into 1/2 3/4 inch pieces
1 red pepper, deseeded / deveined, 1.5 inch pieces
2 jalapeno peppers, thin rings
1 long hot pepper, thin rings
1/3 cup Diamond kosher salt
1 qt Brita filtered water

Day 1 Notes: The prep'd veg should fill a 4 quart bowl. Vegetables are all different sizes, prep targets 1 inch 1.5 inch pieces. Start adding the smallest stuff to the bowl, and 'top up' the bowl with cauliflower. Toss prep'd veg with salt, and fill bowl with water, to cover. Use a heavy plate to press on the veg. Cover with plastic wrap. Full bowl needs to be moved to/from chill space. Chill overnight.

Ingredients and prep, Day 2:

1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp white peppercorns
1 tbsp mustard seed
1 bay leaf
2 cups Brita water

Day 2 Notes 1: Add water and spices to saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, remove to chill. This provides room for a stronger than maybe preferred vinegar taste. If you wish to use less vinegar, add an additional 1 or more cups water.

1 cup stuffed green olives, halved short width
3 baby dill pickles, 3/4 inch pieces

Day 2, Notes 2: Drain and rinse salted veg 3x. Taste them, as you may want to adjust additional spicing. Many of the pepper seeds will wash out, but the heat remains. With veg in 4 qt bowl, 'top up' with olives and dill pickles. Mix to combine.

2 tsp Diamond kosher salt
2 tsp red pepper flake
4 tsp dried minced garlic

Day 2, Notes 3: Measure and combine spices. adjusting to taste.

2 tbsp hot vinegar per jar
1 qt white vinegar, approximately

Day 2, Notes 4: Put a tsp of the dry spice mix into each jar. Using a large steel spoon, fill the jar with veg mix about 2/3 way. Press the veg into the jar. Add another tsp of dry spice, and the rest of the veg. Top with rest of dry spice mix. Suggest the spiced liquid be filtered thru a chinois strainer. Divide the spiced liquid between jars. Add hot vinegar to each jar, to taste. Fill to top with white vinegar. Shake to eliminate air pockets, and refill to top. Chill a day or more. Should be refrigerator safe for weeks or longer, but mine will not last that long.