An adjustable surgical instrument stringer, tray system, and method of sterilization comprising, in general, a one or more axis adjustable stringer to be inserted into the finger rings or ring handles of the surgical instruments to sequentially group the surgical instruments, a surgical instrument tray and lid configured with a pattern of sterilization apertures, the lid having two or more recessed valleys configured to receive the stringer of ringed surgical instruments and releasably hold the surgical instrument therein.