Well, since you don't know the exact recipe, my first thought is it's going to be really hard for you to re-create it "perfect for your taste." Good luck. Generally, if you cut the veggies into pieces, pack the veggies somewhat loosely in the jars and use a 100% vinegar brine you're going to be OK with any combination. You might take a look at this mixed pickle recipe for a method and time. In this recipe you could leave out the sugar and mustard and any of the spices, using only your dill and use only the veggies you list and still be fine re safety. It's the preparation method and the processing time that's important. Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP Mixed Pickled Vegetables

Could you tell us the source of these recipes please? They both strike me as personal recipes rather than tested and approved ones but I could easily be unaware of some approved ones. If they are personal or blog recipes someone made up then refrigerated storage rather than canning would be recommended. The only "approved" thickener is Clear Jel. Cornstarch is specifically listed as a no. The Guar Gum is an unknown - never tested. In lieu of thickening prior to canning, if one doesn't want to use Clear Jel then any thickeners are added after opening the jar. AFAIK there are only 2 approved recipes that allow for using prepared mustard in canning. Personally I wouldn't have any problems with the first recipe simply because of all the vinegar in it but both the prepared mustard and the cornstarch will break down in processing and separate so I'd use Clear Jel instead if I was going to make it. I'd pass on the second recipe given all the flour. But both recipes are what I call "niche" recipes - complex ingredients with minimal use and appeal - so it is difficult to justify the supplies cost and time of making them. Especially with all the needed substitutions when they can so easily be made for fresh use or fridge storage. JMO Dave

Dave, I do think it sounds safe, for all the reasons you say. But consider it this way...it is a bit less acidic than the NCHFP recipe for hot sauce with tomatoes, and it is thicker than pickled peppers (in terms of convection in the liquid), so either way the tested recipe (hot sauce or pickled peppers) is getting a less-safe change (rather than an equal change such as peppers for onions, or a more-safe change such as extra vinegar for water). I do think subbing all peppers for the tomatoes is probably fine, and I would eat sauce made that way. I was just wondering, because sometimes when people post discussions on tested recipes with multiple substitutions, you feel it's too different from the tested recipe. Nothing wrong with that opinion, of course, and it surely matches the official food safety opinion from the USDA. I just like to think scientifically about whether the changes really affect safety - whether each substitution affects acidity, oil content, heat transfer within the product, etc. I usually have no problem with combining 4 or 5 substitutions that are individually approved, but I did, for example, think it was questionable to sub a lot of garlic for onions in the roasted tomato salsa thread. One thing I really like about this forum is the way we conduct reasoned and thoughtful discussions on the issues, so it's nice to have different opinions around, and to be able to talk respectfully. I wasn't questioning the pepper substitution, Dave, just wondering how it fit into your food safety views. Hearing it from an extension class seems like a pretty good approval to me. Melissa

Believe it or not, this idea just came up tonight while having a friend over for dinner - he has a garden and is always looking for new idea and strawberry rhubarb pie came up in the conversation and he mentioned rhubarb wine and - well - here you are, LOL, glad I read this tonight. I'll be sending your recipe along to my friend - thanks.