I've made it quite a few ways, this is by far my favorite. The cider vinegar gives a better, mellow flavor than white vinegar. Don't use any recipe that calls for cooking the peppers unless you want them mushy.. Pouring the hot liquid over them is just enough to give them a nice texture. Peppers are the only thing I pickle, if you have any questions, just ask.
I find if your jars are clean and you put them in the fridge after they cool, they will keep, unopened for over a year. Heck I just opened a 2 year old jar that tastes like I made it last week!
Jalapeños, sliced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic, lightly pounded
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 onion, cut longways in slivers.
Pack the jalapeños and onion in a glass jar.
In a saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Pour the hot pickling liquid over the jalapeños and let it rest for a few hours. Shake it up a little so that the peppercorns are evenly distributed.
For a crunchy bite, you can start nibbling on them within a few hours. As for softer texture, let this sit for 4-5 days.
Can them if you're going to store them at room temp or just put em in the fridge if you have room.
I should mention, you can really use any peppers. I've thrown serranos, habeneros, anaheims, etc in the jar with the jalapeños. It's all delicious