Ruby’s Mustard Pickles

This recipe will make around 8 jars, 2 cups each. Doubling or tripling works well, as long as you have a big enough pot.

1. Dice all the veggies and place them in a large pot. Do not use a food processor for either cukes or peppers. If you like, also include 1 head of cauliflower.

2. Add salt to the veggies, and add enough water to cover them. If using cauliflower, add 1/4 cup salt. Let stand for 2 to 3 hours.

3. Drain veggies and rinse well 2 to 3 times. If you skip the rinsing step, they will be too salty. Set pot aside while you make the sauce.

4. To make the sauce, add all dry ingredients to a large pot. Add vinegar in two stages, stirring well after each addition. If your sauce has any lumps, simply use an immersion blender or a hand mixer to beat the lumps out. Everything should come out smooth, though, as it heats up.

5. Cook the sauce on low-medium heat until it thickens, stirring occasionally. This may take as long as 30 minutes, so don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t thicken right away. Once it begins, the thickening process will happen quickly, so don’t leave it unattended at this point.

6. Add sauce to veggies, and keep the whole pot hot on low heat for at least 30 minutes. Immediately fill clean jars with the hot pickles; they will seal themselves. If any jars don’t seal, simply eat them first! Feel free to use a more structured canning process if desired.