Showing posts with label pickles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pickles. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Favorite Dill Pickles

From Grandma Beverly
Makes about 4 quarts

Wash & chill cucumbers in ice water - use 3 - 4"cucumbers - about a 4-5 qt ice cream bucket full
Put in clean jars: (start with 4 wide mouth quarts)
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 tsp dill seed
2 bay leaves
1 bud garlic
pinch alum - abt 1/8 tsp
dried or fresh dill weed - cover bottom of jar at least

Brine - Mix in saucepan & bring to a boil: This brine is usually enough for 4 qts of pickles
6 cups water
1 ½ cup white or cider vinegar - 5% acidity
½ cup salt (plain, not iodized)

Fill jars with cucumbers - pack them in tight; fill spaces with small ones or spears.
Pour in boiling brine up to within ½ “ of top; put on boiled flats, tighten rings.
Process in boiling water bath about 5 minutes - just enough to seal jars.
They are ready to eat in about 2-3 weeks.

Bread & Butter Pickles

From Grandma Beverly
Makes about 7 pints

4 qts. washed, sliced cucumbers (abt 1 gallon ice cream bkt of fresh cucumbers)
6 medium onions or 3 large
3 whole cloves garlic
1/3 cup pure, coarse salt (I use Kosher salt)
Put in large bowl - Thinly Sliced washed, unpeeled cucumbers-4 qts; onions peeled & thinly sliced ; chopped garlic. (I layer the cucumbers, onions, garlic)
Sprinkle salt over top and cover with ice. Let set on counter for 3 hours. Drain well.
Boil one minute: 3 cups vinegar, 5 cups sugar, 1 ½ tsp turmeric, 1 ½ tsp celery seed, 2 Tbls mustard seed.
Add drained cucumber mixture to boiling brine and cook for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, put in jars, pour brine to within ½” of top of jar, put on boiled flats & rings, tightening and process in hot water bath that covers jars for 10 minutes.