Pickled Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 3 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 head cauliflower (2 lb), trimmed and broken into 1- to 1 1/2-inch florets (6 cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices (2 cups)
• 4 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-thick slices (3 cups)
• 1 cup drained bottled whole peperoncini (4 oz)
• 1 cup large brine-cured green olives (preferably Sicilian; 6 oz)
• 1/2 cup oil-cured black olives (6 oz)