PICKLES

I use this recipe as my base for all my pickles. I may add a chili pepper or some dill, and I’ve even pickled jars of just garlic. You can make pickles out of just about anything. Pickled carrots and pickled garlic are favorites (besides good ole cuke pickles). Use beans or aspargus, pearl onions or jalapenos. So many good things can be made into pickles!

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Pickles

Ingredients

In the bottom of each jar add

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp dill seed
• 1 tsp pickling spice
• 3/4 tsp peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp alum
• 1 large bay leaf
• Then add your veggie of choice
• Fresh dill
• Chilies for spicy pickles

Pickling Brine

• 4 c white vinegar
• 3/4 c pickling salt
• 8 c water

Instructions

• Prepare the vegetables (pickling cukes, jalapeno peppers, carrots, beans, asparagus, whatever suits your fancy!) and peel the garlic cloves (if using).
• Wash 4 large jars in very hot soapy water (or put through cycle of dishwasher) and set aside.
• Set the rack and jars (sans lids) in your canning pot and fill with water (I like to fill the jars first so they float up). Put onto the stove and bring to a boil.
• Put a small pot of water and place the lids and tops in, bring to a boil, then turn off or leave at a very low simmer.
• Bring the brine ingredients to a boil and then turn to medium-high heat.
• Pull your jars out of the boiling water with the canning tongs, dumping the water out. Put the pickle jar ingredients into each jar and then cram the veggie of choice as tightly as you can into the jars.
• Put the funnel on the jar then use the ladle to fill them with the brine with 1/2-inch of headspace and put on the lids tightly. You may need to wipe the rims of the jars first if any brine spills over, before putting the lids on.
• Use the canning tongs to place the filled jars back into the canning pot and set a timer for 10 minutes. Make sure water covers the jars completely!
• Remove the jars using the canning tongs and tilt slightly to remove any water from the top and set aside to finish cooling and sealing.
• You’ll know when the cans are sealed by the distinctive popping sound they make.
• Wait patiently for a few weeks for full flavour! It’s a long wait, but 4-6 weeks is perfect.

Notes

Tips:

1. For the small jars (ex. the garlic), just put half of the pickling spices in.
2. Keep paper towel on hand to give the rims a quick swipe before putting the lid on.
3. Though your hands should be washed before handling everything, I prefer not to let my fingers touch the inside of the jar and use tongs to put the lids on. Which coming out of very hot water, you can't really use your fingers anyways.
4. Wait at least 4-6 weeks before opening the jar.

* Add a small bunch of fresh dill to pickles if desired!

Pickles can be made from anything! Dill pickles, pickles with hot peppers, and pickles with the garlic special. Garlic and spicy pickled garlic. (The green tinge to the garlic in the pickle jars is because the jars themselves are green.) Cauliflower (add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and some curry powder for a twist). I’ve also done green beans, which happen to go great in a Caesar. Also shown are some quick pickled jalapenos.