There is no greater satisfaction than growing your own food and learning how to preserve it. You know exactly what your family is eating and how it was grown and prepared. Last year our cucumbers did pretty well. This year there will be none if I dont get my butt out to the garden and get them seeds poked into the ground!
Here's a recipe I found in my aunts recipe collection that I want to try. My uncle says my aunt used it several times when their cucumbers were abundant.
32 3-5 inch long cucumbers
1 cup salt
4 quarts water
4 cups vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon whole cloves
1/2 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 tablespoon peppercorns
Wash cucumbers and place in a large clean crock or enamelware kettle. Dissolve salt in the water and pour over cucumbers. Place cover over the crock/kettle. Let stand 24 hours, then drain off.
Cover with fresh cold water and let sit 20 minutes. Drain. If rinse water is too salty, repeat. Meanwhile combine vinegar, sugar and spices tied in a bag, bring to boil and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Once cucumbers are drained, wash kettle/crock thoroughly. Cut cucumbers lengthwise in halves or quarters and place back into kettle/crock. Bring vinegar/sugar solution back to a boil. Remove spice bag and pour boiling hot syrup over cucumbers. Cover kettle/crock and let stand 24 hours.
After 24 hours, remove cucumbers. Bring syrup back to a boil while heating 8 pint jars. Fill hot jars with upright cucumbers. Pour syrup over leaving 1/2 inch of headroom. Top jars and process 10 minutes in a water bath. Remove jars.
To make a sweet pickle increase the sugar in the syrup to 3 cups.
If you would like further reading on canning, canning equipment, and the overall process of canning pickles; here is an excellent site for you to check out. Pick Your Own
No comments:
Post a Comment