Marinated Pickled Peppers

Ingredients

4 pounds sweet green, red or orange bell peppers, banana peppers, Hungarian
or Italian peppers
16 jalapeno peppers
4 cups white vinegar
2 cups bottled lemon juice
2 cups olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 Tbs. dried oregano leaves
4 teaspoons pickling salt
2 cloves garlic (optional)
4 Tbs. prepared horseradish (optional)

Instructions

Makes 7 pint jars.. For mild pickled peppers, omit the jalapenos; for hotter pickles increase the number of jalapenos per jar. Wash peppers thoroughly. Remove stem core and seeds. Cut peppers into quarters or slice into rings. Bring vinegar, lemon juice and oil to a boil in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Add onion, oregano, salt, garlic and horseradish (if using). Return mixture to a boil and boil gently while packing jars. Pack peppers and two jalapeno peppers snugly into a hot pint jar to within 3/4" of top rim. Stir pickling liquid to ensure an even mixture of liquid, oil and spices; add hot pickling liquid to cover peppers to within 1/2" of top rim. Affix lids and screw bands. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat for remaining jars. Cover canner; return water to a boil; process 15 minutes. Remove jars. Cool 24 hours. Check jar seals. Remove screw bands. Label and store jars in cool, dark place. Note: The pickling liquid will have a cloudy appearance due to the use of spices, onion and horseradish. This cloudiness does not affect the quality of these pickles.