As long as you use straight, undiluted, 5% vinegar you can pretty much add what you want as long as you keep the proportions the same. In other words add more vinegar to cover the amount of onions added or reduce the peppers some to add the same amount of the onions. Follow me?

The recipe as it exists is basically a 1:1 ratio of solids to vinegar.

My only concern with the recipe as written is the claim of 2 years storage life in the fridge. That is 3x longer than USDA would allow due to listeria considerations.

Dave

Thank you, Dave, for the proportion information. I only make a small amount once every summer, and it is usually gone after the hordes are here for the holidays. I have fermented ones that are several years old. Are they no longer safe?

Fermented and then canned are fine for 2-3 years under proper storage conditions. Fermented and then fridge stored - USDA says 8-12 months max. Over time the brine is diluted by the water in the vegetables and the pH rises.

Listeria will grow even in fermented vegetables, it just grows more slowly. That is the problem with so many of the old home recipes - they were developed prior to the knowledge of listeria.

One trick to consider - since the peppers and onions can be frozen you can freeze them chopped and plain and then make another batch later on using the frozen veggies.

Dave

Ah, I guess I will need to trash the old fermented ones since they were only ever refrigerated. RATS!