Fresh chiles (jalapenos or serranos) Carrots Cauliflower Onions Garlic -- (1/4 head per Jar) Spices in each jar: 1 Whole bay leaf -- up to 2

Leaves 2 Cloves garlic

2 Whole peppercorns -- up to

1 Little piece cinnamon

1/4 ts Mustard seed

Salt White vinegar (1/2 gallon for 8 1-pint Jars)

In response to the question how to preserve Jalapenos (or any other chile). The following is the recipe I obtained originally from my cooking class in high school in Mexico, but I made some modifications because the chiles were allways too cooked. As to how tro dry chiles, that is a question that can be answered only by experimenting, since as a mexican I am use to find any kind of chiles any time in the market very cheap, and I would think most of the mexicans wouldn't know how to dry them.... Any way, I have a very good recipe for chipotles (dry jalapenos) once I am able to understand how this system works... Please note that I don't give the exact amounts because they would vary depending on what you want to get, but keep in mind that the important thing always would be the spices. Slice the carrots in rounds. Brake the coliflower in small pieces and cut the onions in chunks. I cut garlics in such a way that the teeth? are in halfs. I like to use entire chiles but I always punch them with a toothpick, so the flavor comes out. If you want you can slice them in longitudinal cuts, which is the traditional way. I heat a little bit of oil (like 3 or 4 tablespoons) and place all the vegetables at the

same time and mix everything until all the vegetables are covered with a thin layer of oil. Then I fill the jars with the vegetables (the jars by then already have the spices and salt). Apart, I heat the vinegar and when it is boiling I pour it over the vegetables. I close the jars (following the traditional preserving instructions) and let them boil closed for 15 minutes. I let stand the pickles for at least a week. Before coming to the states I preserved in this way like 5 jars with only fresh "piquin chiles" and I have been using them for the last year, by adding here the vegetables, this works wonderful, because we have had very flavorful picles for long time. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Recipe By : From: Date: