The NCHFP site has a canning recipe for Pickled Yellow Pepper Rings, that calls for celery seed and mustard seed. Am I safe in believing that the celery and mustard seed don't add anything to the safety of the product so they both can be safely left out? Can I safely add dried garlic in their place?

Also, the same site has a different canning recipe for Pickled Jalapeno Pepper Rings. This recipe requires that the rings be soaked in pickling lime; the Yellow Pepper Rings recipe doesn't. What makes the difference? Is it because Jalapeno peppers have such thick walls that they need the extra treatment?

Thanks, and happy growing.