I have been making pickles for thirty years! I realized it yesterday when I went to post a photo on Instagram. How can it be thirty years? Perhaps I started pickling at a young age…wink wink. Every summer I let everyone know it’s my last year making pickles. Yet here I am making pickles again. My husband just says, I will help you next year, knowing full well I prefer the kitchen to myself. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them, I certainly do, it’s just quite a bit of work.
Here is my tried and true recipe:
Mixed Pickle Slices
20 cups of thinly sliced unpeeled cucumbers (not waxed)
6 medium onions thinly sliced
3 medium green peppers thinly sliced
3 medium red peppers thinly sliced
1/3 cup pickling salt
5 cups of sugar
2 cups of apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
In a large container combine the cucumber, onions and peppers. Sprinkle with salt and cover with a layer of ice cubes. Gently toss to mix. Let stand for three hours. Rinse and drain well.
In a large saucepan combine the sugar, vinegar, seeds and turmeric. Heat to a boil.
Fill sterilized jars with pickle slices and cover with syrup leaving 1/2 inch at the top. Clean the top of the jars. Using lids and bands (follow instructions on the package for simmering the lids) cover the jars. Process in a simmering water bath. For my altitude I process 10 minutes for pints and 15 minutes for quarts. Check recommended times for your area.
Another year…another batch of pickles…another threat that no one believes.
Wonderful! I am looking forward to trying homemade vanilla extract and the pickles.
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