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. For the picture in the recipe, veggies choice was slim baby carrots with large green onions and fresh dill.

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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*

Bring to a roiling boil

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

Instructions

• Wash 4 large jars in very hot soapy water (or put through cycle of dishwasher), and set aside.
• Put a small pot of water and place the lids and tops in, bring to a boil, then turn off heat.
• Veggies of choice could be: Pickling cuckes, onions, peppers, carrots, dill, garlic, beans or asparagus, whatever suits your fancy!
• Cram the veggie of choice as tightly as you can into the jars then fill jars with the boiling liquid and put on lids as tight as possible.
• At this point, I've been told I don't need to put in water bath. But better safe than sorry, I put a rack in the bottom of tall pot, put the jars in, and filled to cover lids with hot water. I set timer for 10 minutes then removed and set aside to cool.
• Check to make sure the lids have sunk in and sealed.
• Wait patiently for a few weeks for full flavour!

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.

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