Wash & cut jalapenos into strips, removing the seeds. I do a straight, shallow cut down along the stem, then rotate the pepper to cut the stem and seeds away leaving a relatively flat spiral cut pepper. You can also cut the peppers into halves or quarters, remove the seeds & stems, and then cut into strips

Wash and peel the carrots, and cut them into 1/4" thick rounds. I like to cut the rounds diagonally on a bias.

Cut the onion in half, peel them, and cut into thin strips.

Toss the peppers, carrots, and onions together in a large mixing bowl.

In a non-reactive (stainless, glass, or enamel) pot, heat the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and the optional cumin, coriander, or oregano.

Bring the pickling brine up to a boil while you prep and fill your jars.

Fill your water bath canner with water to a height that will cover your jars by several inches with room to boil vigorously.

Wash your jars and lids with hot soapy water, rinse, and place the jars (but not the lids) in the canner as you bring the water up to a low simmer or at least 180℉.

Protect your work surface- I like to use a baking sheet pan lined with an old kitchen towel, but you can also use a sturdy wire cooling rack or silicone mat. This helps protect the glass from temperature shocks and also makes for easier clean-up!

Remove your canning jars from the canner (carefully, with tongs or jar lifters, tilting them out of the hot water) just before filling and place them on the towel or rack.

Place one garlic clove in each jar, and a bay leaf (optional but nice).

Pack the mixed jalapenos, carrots, and onions into the jars, leaving a 1/2" headspace at the top.

Ladle the hot pickling brine into the jars over the vegetables. If you added seasonings, try to evenly distribute them throughout the jars.

If you are using Pickle Crisp (calcium chloride), add 1/8 tsp directly to each jar.

Using jar tongs or a jar rack, carefully place the filled jars into the hot water bath.

Make sure the jars are covered by at least one and preferably two inches of boiling water. Top up the pot with hot water from a kettle if necessary.

Cover the pot, checking until the pot of water has returned to a rolling boil.

After the 10 minutes are up, turn off the heat, and set another timer for 5 minutes, leaving the pot covered.

Remove the jars from the canner, and set on a folded towel or wire rack to cool. Use your jar tongs again or the jar-lifter rack. Even if I'm using a jar-lifter rack with handles, I prefer removing the jars individually with jar tongs so they don’t clang together, break, or drip as much.