Today's garden chore: Save some of these cucumbers for future use.
First, I made a double batch of refrigerator pickles. These no-cook pickles are so easy to prepare, and make a perfect accompaniment to all your favorite summer meals. Here's the recipe:
Refrigerator Pickles
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 small onion, sliced
1 small green pepper, sliced
Cucumbers, unpeeled, sliced 1/4" thick
Mix together vinegar, sugar, and spices. Pack veggies into a glass jar that has a tight fitting lid. Pour vinegar solution over all, be sure all vegetables are covered. Store in refrigerator. Keeps "forever"!
Then, I set about making sweet pickle relish. I haven't purchased store-bought relish since 2010 when I started producing my own. I have to say, I don't miss the corn syrup version at all! My favorite recipe is the one found in the Ball Blue Book of Preserving:
Sweet Pickle Relish
1 quart chopped cucumbers
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped sweet green pepper
1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup salt
3-1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
2 cups apple cider vinegar
Combine cucumbers, onions, and peppers in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Let stand 2 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine sugar, spices, and vinegar in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil; add drained vegetables; simmer 10 minutes. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about 8 half-pints
Start with beautiful produce and a few other ingredients.
Chop, chop, chop. It requires a LOT of chopping. Then, soak veggies in salt water.
Cook it all up, pack into jars, and process in the hot water bath.
Gorgeous jars ready for the pantry! A double batch made 8 pints.
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