Mama started making these pickles this year and they were immediately everyone's favorite.  My niece likes them so much it’s all she wanted to eat for dinner. So they are 4 year old approved. These pickles are the crunchiest pickles ever!

 

Here is the recipe in her own words:

 

 

This is a modified old-ish recipe, 1975 Women’s Household magazine, found recently by me in a lately- acquired quilting magazine, slipped in loose, and I thought I’d give it a try; I did add turmeric---I like the color and its good for you, and cloves, as I like the added flavor; I also cut the sugar to a mere 5 cups, and they are plenty sweet;     and I like that I can dispose of a load of cucumbers for several days while they do their thing and all I have to do is go out to the garden and pick another pail and refrigerate them till I get a pot-full.

 

So, Following the Recipe:   

 

 

Day One:   Sometime early in the day, wash the cukes and place them in a nice big bowl or pot; boil a sufficient amount of water and pour it over them and weight them with a plate and a pickle-rock (or whatever suits you and holds the cukes down;

And that evening, drain off that water and  cover again with a new batch of boiled water, and weight it all down;

Day Two: In the morning, drain and pour new boiled water over, and weight them down;  and in the evening do the same;

 

 

Day Three:  Drain and slice; I then lay them out on tea towels, layers of them if need be ---there’s a lot of water in them and I want them to absorb all the pickling syrup fully;

 

While they wait patiently, make up a spice bag with the cinnamon, celery seed, pickling spice, and cloves; tie it up well; this will be placed in the brine/syrup

 

 

which is made by mixing together  the sugar, vinegar and salt, which is then brought to a boil, with the spice bag, and is then stirred and let to boil for about 10 minutes

 

 

Now get all those slices into a nice big pot or bowl; remove and reserve the spice bag;  and pour the syrup/brine over the slices and again weight them down

 

 

Sometimes 2 pickle-rocks are necessary

 

 

Day Four:  Drain the syrup/brine into a pot, add the reserved spice bag and bring to a boil; Remove and reserve the spice bag;  Pour over the slices and again weight them down;

 

Day Five:  Exactly as Day Four

 

Day Six:  Again pour off the syrup/brine and bring to boil with the reserved spice bag;  While that is simmering , start packing your prepared jars—I like wide-mouth pints as I can reach into them and really pack the slices so there are fewer floaters and so it also requires less syrup/brine per jar;

 

 

Keep the jars warm---a dishpan with hot water works for me

 

 

When you’ve got them all packed, start ladling the hot syrup/brine into each jar a bit at a time---a 2-ounce ladle is great if you’ve got one;  and wipe the rims, and

 

 

cover with the prepared lids.

These old-fashioned-looking jars do work just fine, if you can find them and the rubbers.

 

 

 

Place jars in hot canner and process for 10 minutes; 

Then remove jars and let cool undisturbed

Next day label and store

 

 

So pretty and really good and crunchy

 

 

Amazing Crystal Chip Pickles

ingredients

• 14 dill size cukes, leave whole
• 5 cups of sugar
• 1 quart vinegar, white or cider works equally well
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp turmeric

Spice bag: 

• 4 sticks cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp celery seed
• 2 Tbsp mixed pickling spice
• 2 Tbsp whole cloves

 

Directions

• Day One:   Sometime early in the day, wash the cukes and place them in a nice big bowl or pot; boil a sufficient amount of water and pour it over them and weight them with a plate and a pickle-rock (or whatever suits you and holds the cukes down. That evening, drain off that water and  cover again with a new batch of boiled water, and weight it all down.
• Day Two: In the morning, drain and pour new boiled water over, and weight them down;  and in the evening do the same;
• Day Three:  Drain and slice; I then lay them out on tea towels, layers of them if need be ---there’s a lot of water in them and I want them to absorb all the pickling syrup fully; While they wait patiently, make up a spice bag with the cinnamon, celery seed, pickling spice, and cloves; tie it up well; this will be placed in the brine/syrup which is made by mixing together  the sugar, vinegar and salt, which is then brought to a boil, with the spice bag, and is then stirred and let to boil for about 10 minutes.  Now get all those slices into a nice big pot or bowl; remove and reserve the spice bag;  and pour the syrup/brine over the slices and again weight them down
• Day Four:  Drain the syrup/brine into a pot, add the reserved spice bag and bring to a boil; Remove and reserve the spice bag;  Pour over the slices and again weight them down;
• Day Five:  Exactly as Day Four.
• Day Six:  Again pour off the syrup/brine and bring to boil with the reserved spice bag;  While that is simmering , start packing your prepared jars—I like wide-mouth pints as I can reach into them and really pack the slices so there are fewer floaters and so it also requires less syrup/brine per jar; When you’ve got them all packed, start ladling the hot syrup/brine into each jar a bit at a time---a 2-ounce ladle is great if you’ve got one;  and wipe the rims, and
  cover with the prepared lids.   Place jars in hot canner and process for 10 minutes; 
  Then remove jars and let cool undisturbed
  Place jars in hot canner and process for 10 minutes; 
  Then remove jars and let cool undisturbed
  Next day label and store

 

summer lunch fresh from the garden all in a  gluten free wrap.

 

 

Whatever you have in season will work. The cherry tomatoes are just starting here.

 

 

I like to remove the seeds and extra drippyness.

 

 

I used cream cheese even though I think feta would be nice too.

 

 

On a gluten free wrap or a regular flour tortilla if you aren’t eating a gluten free diet spread some cream cheese.

 

 

then put some cucumber,

 

 

green beans,

 

 

tomatoes,

 

 

and fresh pesto.

 

 

Then roll it up.

 

 

Then I cheered, it didn’t crack and fall apart this time! I think I’ve figured something out about frozen Udi wraps, microwave them for a minute and a half and then they’re flexible and don’t crack when you roll them up.

 

 

Slice diagonally and eat right away. The pesto makes a drippy mess.

 

 

Yum.

 

 

Green bean cucumber fresh pesto wrap

ingredients

• gluten free wraps or a wheat flour if not eating gluten free
• green beans, slightly cooked until bright green
• cucumbers, cut into large sticks
• tomatoes, sliced and seeded
• cream cheese
• fresh pesto
• and any other seasonal items you feel the urge to use.

 

Warm wrap if using frozen. Spread cream cheese on, then put cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes and pesto down the middle and roll up. Slice diagonally, yes you must slice it diagonally it’s part of the recipe. Eat right away.

My mother has been making lots of pickles so one day last week I went to see what she was doing. Actually it want more like “Don’t do another thing until I get my camera out.”

 

She had a bunch of pickling cucumber sliced up sitting on the counter.

 

In a pot she had the pickling liquid ready.

 

in another pot the jars were boiling or nearly boiling . 

 

She got out the hot jars to drain.

 

She then laid the cucumber slices in the jar.

 

She said slicing them long ways is much easier to pack in. 

 

To get as many slices in as possible she uses a butter knife to make more room 

 

and slides more slices down the side of the jar.

 

She tops each jar with sliced onions. Whatever’s on the top gets soggy and mushy over time so it might as well be a few onion slices instead of the ends on every cucumber slice.

 

She then pours the hot pickling liquid over the cucumbers and onions

 

until they are full, all the way to the top.

 

She wipes off any stickiness and put the lids and bands on.

 

Then it’s bath time! Into the hot water they go

 

for 10 minutes.

 

All done. Zesty bread and butter pickles.

 

Zesty bread and butter pickles

Cucumber preparation

• 6 cups sliced cucumbers
• 1 Tbsp sea salt
• 2-3 cups water to cover

In a bowl add cucumbers, salt and water, mix and let sit overnight.

Pickling liquid

• 3 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup pickling spice
• 1 Tbsp prepared horse radish mustard
• 1 Tbsp celery seeds
• 1 Tbsp turmeric
• 2 Tbsp ground ginger

In a pot add vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, horseradish, celery seeds, turmeric, and ginger; simmer 5 minutes stir occasionally.

Meanwhile

prepare canner jars and lids.

Drain and rinse cucumbers several times.

 

Remove jars from hot water, keep lids in a bowl of warm water till you’re ready for them

Filling the jars

• a slice of fresh ginger per jar
• 1 onion peeled and sliced

place ginger slices in bottoms of jars,

Then pack cucumbers into jars tightly, pushing them aside gently with a butterknife to make more room, leaving some headspace –choose your cucumbers accordingly so they don’t stick up too far; then cover with onion slices, allowing about 1/2 inch final  headspace;

ladle hot pickling liquid into jars;

wipe rims  of jars, cover with lid, screw on bands fingertight

place jars in canner

bring to boil and process for 10 minutes

 

---

Pack vegetables into  clean glass jars

 Put dill and garlic in the bottom of the jars and get out the chilies


Tuck the chilies between the cucumber slices.

Combine the salt, sugar, vinegar, coriander and garlic.

Pour the brine over the vegetables.



Spicy Dill Quick Pickles
Ingredients

•          Vegetables
•           3 tablespoons kosher salt
•           2 tablespoons sugar
•           1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar (5 percent acidity)
•           2 tablespoons coriander seeds
•           6 large garlic cloves, halved
•           red or green hot chilies, halved lengthwise or whole
•           16 dill sprigs

Directions

   1. Pack vegetables and dill into glass jars. combine the salt, sugar, vinegar, coriander and garlic. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 2 cups of water and pour the brine over the vegetables. Tuck the chilies between the vegetables. Add enough water to keep the vegetables submerged. Close the jars and refrigerate overnight or for up to 1 month.