Lots of pickles!

[RidgebackRanch]

I've meaning to post our pickling process lately so here goes. So far this season we've put up 6 qt. of DW's famous garlic dills, 5 pt. of spicy pickle relish, 7 qt. bread & butters, 8 qts. sandwich slices and 4 qts. of peppers

The garlic dill recipe is a family standard that DW makes and I have been fooling around with the relish and sandwich slice recipes. This is so much fun and it's always exciting to see how things taste later.

Now if only all those hot peppers would ripen. Now that the canning bug is strong I really want to try some new ideas for hot sauce and salsa...

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I have been looking for a really good recipe for peppers if you'ld like to share

 

[curly_kate]

I'm looking for a spicy pickle recipe, if you've got one to share.
..

 

[baymule]

My spicy sweet pickle recipe came from my great grandmother to my grandmother to me. I made 20 pints and 4 quarts this summer. I make it from memory, better write it down before I lose my mind LOL!

5 gallon bucket of sliced cucumbers about 1/4" thick
cover with water, add 2 cups pickling lime
I put a plate over them to weigh the cukes down in the lime water
Soak for 24 hours, then wash all lime off and soak in water with 4 cups of vinegar added
Drain, divide into 2 large pots
In each pot, add approximately 8 cups vinegar and 10 cups sugar (or 6 cups vinegar to 8 cups sugar)

In each pot, add 1 box or bottle of pickling spices. (you can put them in a bag so the spices don't get on the cucumbers, but I never do because I like the spices in the jars of pickles)

Simmer on medium heat until the cucumbers are translucent

Pack in hot sterile jars, cover with syrup and seal.

The lime makes them crisp. They are so good, makes the best deviled eggs! I can eat 1/2 a jar by myself

 

[RidgebackRanch]

Here's the brine recipe for DW's pickles that I use for spicy pickles.

1/4 cup pickling salt
3 cup water
1 cup white vinegar

For spicy pickles I finely chop jalapenos or habaneros and add some to each jar before adding pickles. DW seasons her pickles with fresh garlic, red chili flakes, a pinch of italian seasoning and fresh dill seed heads picked at a stage only she knows.. lol

Hope this helps.

 

[Jared77]

I cheat on mine, I take our standard dill recipe and then add a few drops of Tabasco sauce in each jar after packing, then follow the rest of the dill recipe. They come out with a nice bite to them.

 

[RidgebackRanch]

Thanks for the hot sauce tip Jared. I still have a couple of jars of hot sauce from last year, think I'll give it a try. Thankfully cucmber plants offer plenty of fruit to experiment with.

 

[bernie5711]

What do you plant for Bread & Butter pickles. I assume it's a type of cucumber? As per my previous post on Sweet Corn, I'm a total rookie. However, I tasted these for the first time 2 weeks ago and immediately made up my mind to plant these as part of my 1st time garden next spring and can my own.

Also, can you share that recipe?

Thanks
bernie

 

[vfem]

I need pickles... I am yet to get any good cukes this year. I don't think I'll see any until 2013 at this point.

 

[so lucky]

I think the burpless cukes are not recommended for pickling, but just about any other regular cuke would be fine for bread and butter pickles. I grew Poinsett, which did very well. Straight 8 is an old stand-by. Honestly, there are about a thousand recipes for bread and butter pickles on the internet. Look around, and find something that looks easy. they all make good pickles. Except my last batch, which was too salty, entirely my fault. My 50 year old brother in law made bread and butter pickles for the first time this summer--first time for him or Sis to pickle anything. They were so proud!