When life gives you cucumbers, make pickles!

Looks like a good year for cucumbers. They just keep coming! Here's what's still on the counter, despite our best efforts to use them up in salads and chilled soups and out-of-hand encounters ...

The supply of sweet pickle relish has been replenished. I processed two batches (8 pints) Thursday morning. I chopped for 1-1/2 hours! People ask why I don't use a food processor or some other speedy method. The truth is, I'm sort of picky about the size of the chop in my relish, so I have to do it the old fashioned way. You know, chopping can be a meditative exercise.

The refrigerator pickles are marinating. They should be full of flavor in just a few days. I've prepared both sweet slices and dill spears. These pickles are quick and easy to make. Fresh, crispy, and delicious!

The recipes I use are below. For more pictures and commentary, see my "Sweet Pickles" article posted July 2013.

Refrigerator Sweet Pickles (Mary Gray's recipe)
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.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles (from All Recipes website)

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• 4 cups cucumber spears
• 2 cloves garlic, whole
• 2 heads fresh dill

Directions

1. Stir water, vinegar, sugar, and sea salt together in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and cool completely.
2. Combine cucumber spears, garlic cloves, and fresh dill in a large glass or plastic container. Pour cooled vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture. Seal container with lid and refrigerate for at least 3 days.

Sweet Pickle Relish (from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving)
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