Pickled Cucumber Salad

Canned Pickled Cucumber Salad

6 lbs. Cucumbers (sliced to preference)

2-4 Large Carrots (shredded)

2-4 Bell Peppers (chopped)

Other Preferred Vegetables (celery, radishes, onions, etc.)

¼ Cup Non-iodized Salt

Mix, cover, and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. 

After 24 hours, rinse vegetables well under cold water. Remove salt from the vegetables to your preference. Drain well. 

Brine:

3 Cups White Vinegar

3 Cups Water

½ Cup Lemon Juice

1 Cup Sugar

Combine brine ingredients and stir to dissolve sugar. No heating is required. Not adding hot brine over the vegetables, aids in retaining crunchy vegetables. 

Additions to each jar:

1/4 t. Calcium Chloride (Pickle Crisp)

½ t. Dried Dill

Fill jars with vegetables to the bottom of the jar neck. Firmly pack vegetables in each jar using moderate pressure. Add calcium chloride and dill to each jar. Next add the brine, leaving approximately ¼ inch of headspace. Remove bubbles from each jar. Wipe jar rims using a damp paper towel or washcloth to remove any debris. Apply lids and bands fingertip tight. Place jars in a water bath canner with a rack. Add cold water to cover jars by 1-2 inches. Apply the lid to the canner and turn the heat on high. Once at a rolling boil, set a timer for 10 minutes (or according to your elevation). Turn heat off and let boiling die down before removing jars to a towel or surface to cool. Let jars cool, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours. Remove bands, wash jars, label, and prepare for storage.

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bgiWMLRups

August 2023 Garden update

 

It is a good year for onions and cucumbers 

Sweet Zucchini Relish

Sweet Zucchini Relish


10-12 zucchini (~12 cups)
2 large onion
2 bell peppers
1 carrot (optional) - for color.
5 Tbsp pickling salt


5 cups of sugar
2 1/2 cups vinegar
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp corn starch
3/4 ssp turmeric
1/2 tsp celery seed (can also use a stalk of fresh celery finely diced)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Red pepper flakes


Shred your veggies


Add canning/pickling salt and mix
Refrigerate for 12-24 hours
Drain and rinse the veggies under cool water.  Then do it again - rinse and squeeze out the water.
Add the vinegar and spices to a large pot; simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add veggies to the sauce and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Fill jars with 1/2 in head space and process for 10 minutes

~6 pints

From https://www.manmadediy.com/sweet-zucchini-relish-recipe

Best Bread and Butter Pickles (low temp)

 Best Bread and Butter Pickles

Servings: makes 6-7 pints

Ingredients
5 lbs. pickling cucumbers, sliced 1/4" thick (16 cups when sliced)
2 lbs. onions, halves and thinly sliced (6 cups when sliced)
2 Cups red bell pepper
1/3 cup pickling salt (or 1/2 cup kosher salt)
3-1/2 cups vinegar; use white or cider or half-and-half combination
4 cups sugar
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric
optional: 3/4 teaspoon Pickle Crisp granules
Directions
Combine sliced cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt in large bowl; toss to combine; cover with ice and refrigerate for 3-4 hours (or as long as 12 hours). Drain in colander, rinse well under running water for 2 minutes, tossing vegetables as they are rinsing. Drain.

In 8-quart pot, combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, mustard and celery seeds, pepper flakes, cloves, and turmeric; heat over high heat until boiling. Add cucumber/onion/pepper mixture, stir, and return to boil. Turn off heat.


(Optional: Before filling jars with other ingredients, add 1/8 teaspoon pickle crisp granules to each heated jar.)

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to fill hot pint jars with cucumber/onion mixture, filling to just below where the jar rim begins, pressing down with tongs/spoon to fill in any gaps in jars. Ladle hot vinegar liquid into jars, allowing 1/2 headspace.

Insert chopstick or bubble remover down sides of jars, drawing it towards the center to release any trapped bubbles; refill jars, if necessary, to restore 1/2" headspace. Clean jar rims with wet paper towel. Add lids to each jar; screw on rings just until finger tight.

"low-temperature pasteurization treatment, place jars in a canner filled halfway with warm (120 degrees F to 140 degrees F) water. Add hot water to a level 1 inch above jars. Heat the water and maintain a 180 degrees F water temperature for 30 minutes. Use a candy or jelly thermometer to be certain that the water temperature is at least 180 degrees F during the entire 30 minutes. Temperatures higher than 185 degrees F may cause unnecessary softening of pickles. This treatment results in a better product texture but must be carefully managed to avoid possible spoilage. Caution: Use only when recipe indicates.

After processing is completed, remove jars from canner with a jar lifter and place on a towel or rack. Do not retighten screw bands. Cool jars 12 to 24 hours and remove screw bands. Check lid seals. If the center of the lid is indented, the jar is sealed. Wash, dry, label, and store sealed jars in a clean, cool, dark place. If the lid is unsealed, examine and replace jar if defective, use new lid, and process as before. Wash screw bands and store separately. Pickles are best if used within a year and safe as long as lids remain vacuum sealed."

Sweet and tangy gherkin slices 2023

Sweet and tangy gherkin slices

Day 1

• 6 lbs pickling cucumbers
• 1/3 cup canning salt

Day 2 

• boiling water
• 7 sticks cinnamon
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp mustard seed
• 2 tsp whole allspice
• 2 tsp celery seed
• 6 cups cider vinegar (I used 1 cider 5 white) 

Day 3

• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar

Day 4 

• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar

 

Day 1

1. scrub cucumbers. Cut crosswise into 1/2 in slices trimming of 1/8 in from each end. You should have about 18 cups.
2. In a large heatproof non-reactive bowl combine cucumbers and salt. Add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Place a Plate on top to weigh down cucumbers.  Cover and let stand at room temp for at least 12 hours or up to 24.

Day 2

1. In a colander drain cucumbers and rinse well. Rinse bowl, drain cucumbers again and return to the bowl.  Poor boiling water over cucumbers and drain again. Return to the bowl and set aside.
2. In a pot, combine 7 cinnamon sticks, 3 cups of sugar, 1 Tbsp. mustard seed, 2 tsp whole allspice, 2 tsp celery seed, 6 cups vinegar.  Bring to a boil over medium heart stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Boil for 1 minute.  Pour over cucumbers.  Place a Plate on top to weigh down cucumbers.  Cover and let stand at room temp for at least 12 hours or up to 24.

Day 3 

1. In a colander set over a large pot, drain liquid from cucumbers. Rinse plate and bowl. Return cucumbers and cinnamon sticks to bowl and set aside.
2. Stir 1 1/2 cup brown sugar into liquid. Bring to a boil over medium heart stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Boil for 1 minute.  Pour over cucumbers.  Place a Plate on top to weigh down cucumbers.  Cover and let stand at room temp for at least 12 hours or up to 24

Day 4

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids
2. In a colander set over a large pot, drain liquid from cucumbers. Set cucumbers and cinnamon sticks aside.  Stir 1 1/2 cup brown sugar into liquid. Bring to a boil over medium heart stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Boil for 20 minutes or until reduced by 1/3. 
3. Pack cucumbers and 1 cinnamon stick in each jar, leaving 1 in headspace. Pour in hot liquid leaving 1/2 in headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim fix lid.
4. Place jars in canner and process for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove lid and let jars stand in water for 5 minutes. Transfer jars to a towel-lined surface.

(From complete book of pickling Pg 38-39)

 

Crunchy Dill Pickles

Dill Pickle Recipe:

The pickles need to soak overnight in a brine, then the next day you will fill your jars and process.

Ingredients:

8 pounds of 3-4 inch pickling cucumbers

2 gallons water

1 1/4 cups canning or pickling salt

1 1/2 quarts vinegar (5% acidity)

1/4 cup sugar

2 quarts water

2 Tbsp. whole mixed pickling spice  

whole mustard seed (1-2 tsp per pint jar)

fresh dill (1 to 1 1/2 heads per pint jar) or dill seed (1 to 1 1/2 tsp. per pint jar)

1 garlic clove per jar (optional)

Preparing Your Cucumbers the Day Before

day one, wash your cucumbers and thinly slice off the blossom end. 

Add 3/4 cup salt dissolved in 2 gallons water. Soak cucumbers in water for 12 hours. 

 Dill Pickle Recipe:

Get the water in your canner heating while you prepare your cucumber pickles.

Combine 

1 1/2 quarts vinegar, 

1/2 cup salt, sugar

2 quarts of water. 

pickling spices in a cheesecloth bag and place in your vinegar brine.

Heat to boiling.

Fill jars with drained cucumbers.

Add:

12 tsp. mustard seed per pint 2 tsp per quart 

1 pint / 2 quart head fresh dill or 1 tsp. pint / 2 tsp quart. dill seed  

1 garlic clove per jar (optional)

Fill jars with hot pickling brine, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.

From - https://www.simplycanning.com/dill-pickle-recipe/#recipe

Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment

The following treatment results in a better product texture but must be carefully managed to avoid possible spoilage. Place jars in a canner filled half way with warm (120º to 140º F) water. Then, add hot water to a level 1 inch above jars. Heat the water enough to maintain 180ºF (82.2C) to 185º F (85C) water temperature for 30 minutes. Check with a candy or jelly thermometer to be certain that the water temperature is at least 180ºF during the entire 30 minutes. Temperatures higher than 185ºF may cause unnecessary softening of pickles.

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/low_temp_pasteur.html

From - https://www.simplycanning.com/dill-pickle-recipe/#recipe