Prepare the peppers by cutting off the stems and using a small spoon to de-seed them. Use gloves if you are working with spicy peppers!

You could skip this step if you are sure the peppers you have are not too spicy, or if the peppers are too small to be easily deseeded.

Leave the long peppers, if you are using, intact.

Bring 2 cups of water and 4 tablespoons sea salt or rock salt to a boil, stirring to dissolve.

Now drop all your peppers in and boil hard for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Leave the peppers in this brine for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.

Place a plate or other object on top to keep the peppers submerged as much as possible.

When you're ready to complete the pickling, drain the peppers from the brine, rinse, and leave to dry as well as possible. You can pat try or leave them under a fan for a while. Just try to remove as much moisture as possible.

Combine the syrup ingredients in a non-reactive large pot.

Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a rolling boil. Watch out, as the mixture foams and vinegar fumes are caustic!

Add the brined peppers the boiling syrup. Boil for a minute or two.

Then remove from heat, and add in the garlic, peppercorns, and bay/lemon leaves.

Use a slotted spoon now to transfer the peppers first to the prepped jars. Push them in as you go; you want the bottles to be filled well so that the peppers stay submerged (and look prettier!).

Then pour over the hot vinegar mixture. Fill the jars, leaving about 1/2-inch at the top.

Wipe the rims of the jars, cap them, and leave for about 2-3 weeks before use.