HOME MADE PICKLES

This was taken straight from an old Blue Bell Canning book.

Zucchini Pickles

2 pounds zucchini, sliced (about 8 small)
1/3 pound onion, quartered and sliced (about 1 small)
1/4 cup canning salt
2 cups sugar
2 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp turmeric
3 cups vinegar

Combine zucchini and onion, sprinkle with salt; add cold water to cover. Let stand 2 hours. Drain, rinse and drain thouroughly. Combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Pour vinegar mixture over zucchini and onion. Let stand 2 hours. Bring all ingredients to a boil; reduce heat and simmer5 minutes.

Pack hot vegtables and liquid into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Yield approx 4 half pints.

I have used this recipe for 3 years now. Each time they have come out crisp and delicious!
They're crispy, they're crunchy, a delcious delicacy & everything anyone could want in a perfect Dill Pickle. Definitely better than any store-bought.
You can slice them the long way, short way, or whole ...it's all in preference.











For crisp pickles, choose ripe, pickling cucumbers, which are shorter and chunkier than regular eating cucumbers, which tend to be longer and smoother. Overripe cucumbers make mushy pickles. Choose pickles that have not been coated in wax, as the pickling brine cannot penetrate through the wax. The fresher the cucumbers, the crisper the pickles will be. For best results, try picking your own cucumbers from a local farm or farmers' market.I am convinced that this freshness adds a little extra something to the flavor and crunch of the pickles.Another tip is in the processing (hot water bath) of the pickles. The cucumbers are processed only a short time so they are not "cooked".Critical to crisp dill pickles are soaking the cukes in ice water for at least 2 hours .Makes 8 quarts.
                     DELICIOUS DILLS

8 pounds of 2-3 inch cucumbers


12 cups water

1/3 cup pickling salt

jalapeno peppers to taste

grape leaves (fresh)1-2 per jar

whole peppercorn,I use 3 per jar

16 whole garlic cloves (peeled)

8 fresh dill sprigs4 CUPS white vinegar (5% distilled - commonly sold in stores)


1/4 tsp of mustard seed in each jar(optional)

crushed red pepper (optional)

Final note: The grape leaves give the pickles their crunch. You may have trouble finding fresh grape leaves, since they do not sell them in stores. If you can not grow your own or have a neighbor that grows them, I do not have a solution. I would not use alum as a substitute in my pickles.Cut off 1/8" of the blossom end of the cucumber. The enzymes located there can cause soft pickles. You can leave a short piece of vine at the other end. Do this even if you are quartering the cucumbers. What's Pickling Salt? It is not the same as Pickling Spice. It is basically non-iodized salt. Kosher salt works really well. Iodized salt will make your pickles blue! Try to use a ceramic or Teflon coated pot for the brine; contact with metal clouds vinegar solutions, and you may not be able to tell later if the cloudiness indicates spoilage. 





Directions

1. Wash cucumbers, and place in the sink with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required. Sterilize 8 (1 quart) canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the brine to a rapid boil.
3. In each jar, place 2 half-cloves of garlic, one head of dill, then enough cucumbers to fill the jar (about 1 pound). Then add 2 more garlic halves, and 1 sprig of dill, grape leaves, and jalapenos . Fill jars with hot brine. Seal jars, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue.
4. Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath. Process quart jars for 15 minutes for safety.I only process mine 5-8 minutes for crispness.Any that do not seal by morning, go right in the Fridge as Refrigerator pickles, which are the only true way to get that Claussen crisp -- however this canned recipe with the short water bath are the crispiest I've ever had, next to refrigerator pickles!! 
5. Store pickles for a minimum of 8 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place.

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES 

This recipe from Mrs. Roland Smalley, Niles, Mich. is very popular. The pickles are the kind with a thickened dressing and was her mother’s recipe. The cassia buds are unavailable as they come from China, so broken cinnamon bark may be substituted.
Bread and Butter Pickles.
2 quarts unpeeled medium-sized cucumbers, sliced
1 quart or less sliced onions
Let soak in salt water overnight. Next morning, drain.
1 pint white vinegar
3 cups sugar
3 level tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon cassia buds (or cinnamon bark)
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon celery seed
Mix flour and sugar before adding, to prevent lumping.
Mix all together and add to cucumbers and onions. Bring to a good boil. Pack while hot in add one teaspoon olive oil (or salad oil) to each jar and seal. Be sure pickles do not boil more than 2 minutes.

This recipe is simply the best I've ever tried!! I tried this recipe for the first time last year & gave away the jars as Christmas presents. Now everyone is requesting these pickles for Christmas again this year!