What else have I got to do today besides brew up some homemade pickles? Honestly, the "to do" list is a mile long, but freshly harvested produce moves quickly to the top of any list of tasks.
Since I'm out of dill, and so are all the local stores, today's recipe called for a sweet flavor. I decided to use the Good Eats sweet pickle (refrigerator) recipe. You will find the show's transcript here (recipe starts at Scene 6), and you can watch the recipe portion of the episode on YouTube here.
The cucumber plants are growing nicely, and twice now I've been able to harvest nearly 2 pounds of cucumbers. And there are lots more little cucumbers growing!
This morning's harvest was a variety of sizes, and well, shapes.
Once I had the little fruits picked, it was time to wash them up under cold water and really give them a good scrubbing. Scrubbing removes the little prickly things on the skin, and really works off any dirt or other foreign particles that might be on the skin. (By the way, I keep my veggie scrubber nice and clean by running it through the dishwasher after using it.)
After their scrubbing, they are nice and glossy and no longer have their dull finish.
There is a variety of ways you can prepare the cucumbers for pickling. This morning, I chose to do simple coin slices.
Once sliced, I soak the cucumbers in an ice and salt water bath. We don't like the flavor of our tap water, so I used bottled water for this process. Today's batch fit into a serving bowl, so I popped it into the fridge for 2-3 hours. Putting the bowl in the fridge while they soak really minimizes the number of times I need to add ice to the water and really chills the cucumbers.
A few hours later, I sterilized my jars, lids and rings and got ready for the canning process.
I put the brine mixture on the stove to cook. This recipe calls for bringing the brine ingredients to a boil, and then letting them simmer for four minutes. I used bottled water for the brine water too, since we don't like the flavor of our tap water.
Once the jars were ready, I carefully filled each jar with the sliced cucumbers and some sweet onion slices.
I didn't quite have enough cucumbers to completely fill all four jars, so I topped them off with a few more slices of onion.
I added the brine to the jars, wiped off the rims of the jars, and added the lids and rings. This recipe is a refrigerator recipe, so it doesn't have to be hot water processed once the jars are lidded. After the jars cool to room temperature, I'll put them in the fridge for keeping.
Mmmm, delish!
would you share your recipe please
Posted by: ualolo Muliaina | November 01, 2011 at 06:54 AM
Would you share your pickle recipe please? Tx.
Posted by: Judy Huettel | July 12, 2010 at 10:30 AM
They look great! I have been doing the same thing and have a bunch of bigguns to pickle after the rain we had here in Houston. You are so luck that the squash vine boreres haven't gotten your zuchs. The last three years they have destroyed mine just when they started producing the best!!! It's war!
Posted by: Sonya Appel | July 06, 2010 at 07:54 AM
Jennifer, sure you becha! Gramma had a great recipe in her Cook book. Great Gramma gave it to her at her marriage around 1930. On the Ranch beef was for selling, chicken paid the bills. I remember seeing one for Starlings as well! Yum Yum....... Love, Dad
Posted by: DK Wight | July 05, 2010 at 11:42 AM
Dear Dad, If I catch and cook up the groundhog, may I send him to you to eat? :-) I think he'd serve a family of 5 for a week. He's a big guy and visits us daily. Even my three big Newfoundland dogs find him fascinating! As for myself...not so much.
Cheers!
Posted by: Jennifer Woodward | July 05, 2010 at 03:01 AM
Jennifer, the ground hog, if he is one of the larger prairie version is just delicious in the crockpot with veggies and some Barbique sauce after you pull out the veggies and taters! If one is short of cucumbers just add sliced Zuchini to the mix. Great photos Darlin' A very chilly day in the mountains here.....Love, Dad
Posted by: DK Wight | July 04, 2010 at 07:30 PM
Oh these look wonderful! *IF* my cucumbers produce (I've had an awful time with a very persistant ground hog) I'd love to try your recipe for sweet pickles. They look wonderful!
Posted by: Jennifer Woodward | July 04, 2010 at 04:57 PM
Those pickles look absolutely DELICIOUS!!! They are picture perfect, Anna! Aren't you so smart! :D I know you and Alan will enjoy them very much.
Thanks for showing us your process...great pictures! You are so sweet to indulge us with such great info.
Hope your day was wonderful! The pickles had to be a good "start"!!! :-)
Posted by: diane mcvey | July 04, 2010 at 02:51 PM
I don't normaly like sweet (or bread and butter) pickles. Yet these look deliscious.
I think it is a great way to spend the 4th of July ! Now everytime you enjoy the pickles you will be reminded of this years 4th and the abundance of this great Nation. God Bless and Big Hugs,
Posted by: Carol Dee | July 04, 2010 at 02:45 PM