Thanks for any comments or suggestions!!

In a pickle…

Pickled vegetables. Photo by ccarlstead on flickr….

[...] From the Frugal Kitchen: How to make Bread-and-Butter Pickle Slices @ Get Rich Slowly – I love making homemade bread and butter pickles but I’ve never canned them before.  They usually don’t last long enough to can!  I think this would make a great gift. [...]

But that period of time between that first bite and the first ominous rumble from my guts was pure heaven. Yum!

Jean

As I recall her saying, in her experience, it was not essential that the lids seal (although they usually did). In fact, she would just spoon the boiling hot stuff into a jar and put the lid on, with no “processing” and no need for a special canning pot. Typically the lids would suck down and seal as they cooled. If one did not, it became the first eaten.

Bread and butter pickles (Marilyn)

2 quarts sliced medium cucumbers
3 medium white onions sliced
1 green pepper chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
1/6 cup canning salt (i.e. 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp)

Combine ingredients in large glass bowl; cover w/ cracked ice and mix. Let set 3 hours, then drain in a colander. In a large pot, combine this cucumber mixture with

2.5 cup sugar
3/4 tsp tumeric
3/4 tsp celery seed
1 Tbsp mustard seed
1.5 cup vinegar

Heat just to a boil and pour in jars. Keep for a few weeks before eating. Makes 4 pints (double everything for quarts).

When my Mom died and I cleared out her house, I found a sealed jar of her infamous pickles left in the pantry. They must have been sitting there for years, nobody wanted them. I sure didn’t want them, so I offered the jar to all my siblings, none of them would take it. They all told me, “you know what they taste like, why would you think I would want them?” I told them, just stick it on your shelf, it will be a memento of your mom. Nope, they wouldn’t touch it. So now it’s been sitting on my shelf for years and years. I think I’ll throw them out.

3 quarts of water
1 quart of vinegar
1 cup of canning salt
3 1/2 pounds of cukes cut into slices
Whole dill (optional)

Combine all ingredients except dill and bring to a boil.

Get your jars ready – this makes 4 – 6 quarts or 8 – 12 pints depending on how well you pack your jars.

Boil the jars to ensure they are sterile (boil rings as well especially if pre-used.)

Remove jars and pack with your sliced cukes. Add your dill heads and leaves to the jars more or less depending on your taste. (note that this recipe calls for you not to cook the cukes beforehand).

After packing your jars, pour your vinegar water mixture into your packed jars. Place lids and rings and process for at least 25 – 30 minutes (remember your cukes were not cooked beforehand so you have to leave them longer to insure they get cooked to the middle).

After removing jars listen for that satisfying pop of your lids sealing. These need to sit in their jars for a couple weeks before they are ready.

For a variation on this recipe, add crushed garlic and slices of uncooked onion to your jars to get some zest.