For me, cauliflower, carrots and an onion are essential elements in giardiniera. But red bell pepper adds irresistible good looks, and I generally toss in some green beans just because they make such a darn fine pickle. That said, in the folk tradition, pickling often involved "putting up" whatever mix of vegetables happened to be ripe at the same time, so feel free to add whatever sturdy vegetable you have on hand.

French canning jars with their hinged lids make for pretty, table-ready storage, not to mention terrific gifts. But you could just as easily bottle your giardiniera in a repurposed (but well washed) peanut butter jar. Just resist the temptation to put the entire batch in one gigantic bottle. Giardiniera will keep in the refrigerator for a month or more, but loses its crunch fast when repeatedly exposed to air, so choose jars that hold a quantity you'll eat in a couple of days.

Options, options, options Because part of the pleasure of pickling is changing things to suit your palate, I've suggested some optional add-ins to get you started.

• For a hot version, add one or more jalapeños or other hot pepper, sliced. It's easy to flavor just part of the batch by tucking chiles into select jars as you're bottling them.

• A little mustard seed and celery seed add both flavor and visual interest. And many an Italian gardener has thrown in a couple of whole cloves or allspice berries.

• In wintertime, don't hesitate to substitute dried herbs for fresh. Dried oregano or dill can be tasty choices.

JO MARSHALL