Chiles in the jars

Normally I will submerge the chiles in boiling water for about three minutes before putting them into the jars. I have skipped that step today--for the first time. I pack them in fairly tight. This will mean that less brine is required to fill less space and there will be more pickles in each jar.

Shaken, not stirred

After filling the jar to the top with brine, I tilt the jar and rotate it for a while. This allows air to float up to the top.

I then open the jar and repeat a couple of times until there is very little air left in the jar at all.

After all the air has been removed, the jars are sealed again and prepared for the final treatment.