Tuesday, July 2, 2019

How to Make Dill Pickles

Ever wanted to be able to make your own pickles? Allison will show you how with a simple cold pack method. You can make whole or spear dill pickles.

The best BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES!

Ready to try your hand at canning? Because these BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES are the best, hands down!

It’s easy to appreciate why this coveted condiment always receives great praise; if you can enjoy it with nothing more than a buttered piece of bread, it must be pretty stellar, right? RIGHT!

I was lucky enough to grow up in a home where canned vegetables were often served as an accompaniment with meals. Pickled peppers were enjoyed with a tender roast beef dinner or grilled chicken. A robust antipasto was heaped onto crackers or toast as a tasty treat before our meal. Pickles were the perennial go-to that seemed to always go with everything.

Whether served alongside sandwiches or presented as a flavour complement to a hearty main, BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES are the favoured condiment that leads the pack.

Here’s what to expect and consider when preparing them:

CANNING – The process of canning vegetables is a rewarding endeavour. Head HERE to read our post about canning.

CUCUMBERS – Every great pickle recipe begins with great cucumbers, and for this recipe, we suggest using Kirby’s. Kirby cucumbers are mild in flavour but earn top marks for their crunchiness. They have bumpy skins and rarely exceed six inches in length when picked at their peak. It’s essential that your cucumbers are well washed before you begin the recipe.

SLICING – You’ll notice in the video attached to this recipe that I started out slicing the cucumbers by hand. Then my Type A personality kicked in, and I pulled out my vegetable mandoline to continue cutting the cukes so that they were all the same thickness. I think doing so has yielded a more uniform look, and all the pickles now have the same crunch consistency.

VINEGAR – Although you can use white vinegar in this recipe, we opted for pickling vinegar since it contains a higher percentage of acetic acid, which is essential for shelf-stable canning.

SPICES – I’ve played around with different spice combinations for this recipe and I think I’ve finally nailed it. You’ll be able to taste the varied flavour profile these spices all help create.

Making this recipe is a bit of work, but the reward for your efforts will be jars filled with memorable tasty goodness. Once done, then what? Enjoy our BREAD AND BUTTER pickles alongside our GRILLED PANINI SANDWICH, NANNY’S BAKED HAM or as a compliment to our ROAST PORK SHOULDER.

If you enjoyed this post, why not check out some of our canning recipes like LATE-SEASON STRAWBERRY JAM!

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES are a jar of the season’s best taste sensation!

FULL RECIPE AT: weekendatthecottage.com

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Thanks for watching!

How to Can Pickles in a Water Bath Canner...so Easy!

In this video we'll show you how to can or jar garden fresh cucumbers to make both Dill and Sweet & Spicy pickles using a water bath method...enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Pickle Brine (bring to a boil):

- 8 Cups Water

- 4 Cups Vinegar

- 1 Cup Sugar

- ¾ Cup Pickling Salt

- 2 Tbsp Crushed Red Peppers

- 2 Tbsp Pickling Spices

- 2 Tbsp Spiced Seasoning Salt

- 1 Tbsp Cayenne

- 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder

- 2 Tsp Tumeric

- 1 Tsp Ground Cloves

- 1 Tsp Ground Allspice

Direct in Jar:

- Fresh Dill Sprig (1)

- Fresh Garlic Bulbs (3)

- Fresh JalapeƱo Slices (6-8)

- Mustard Seeds (1/4 TSP per Quart Jar)

- Pickle Crisp (1/4 TSP per Quart Jar)

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Bread & Butter Pickles - How to Make Great Depression-Style Sweet Pickles

Learn how to make Bread & Butter Pickles! Go to http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2014/08/bread-butter-pickles-one-of-great.html for the ingredient amounts, extra information, and many, many more video recipes! I hope you enjoy this easy Bread & Butter Pickles recipe!

Best Dill Pickle Recipe!!! Plus, Canning Tips & Tricks!

My mom makes the BEST DILL PICKLES EVER!!!! I’m not even kidding. She has been perfecting this recipe for over 30 years!!!! They are crisp, tangy, garlic and I have yet to find it’s equal. Friends, today is your lucky day because she has shared her secret recipe. In this video, we show you how to make fool proof dill pickles and share some tips & tricks to help you along the way. Note: in this video, we doubled the recipe and made 21 jars!

Dill Pickles Recipe (makes 6 quarts)

Ingredients:

- 2-3 heads of garlic, peeled & separated into cloves

- 2-3 bunches of dill, washed & picked into smaller sections

- 12-15 lbs of medium sized pickling cukes

- 10-12 quart sized Wide Mouth Mason Jars

- 10-12 canning jar lids & bands

For Brine:

- 1 quart pickling vinegar

- 2 quarts water

- 3/4 cup coarse salt

Method

1. Sanitize the Mason Jars by putting them in the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle. Leave them in until you are ready to use them. They need to be hot for the jars to seal properly.

2. Wash, Soak & Scrub the cukes

3. Combine the ingredients for the brine & bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and put a tight lid on it to keep it warm.

4. Prepare the garlic by breaking the heads into cloves. Peel off the skin.

5. Soak & Rinse the Dill, then break it up into smaller pieces, removing any large stems.

6. Heat the canning jar lids (not the bands) in warm water. Keep them in the water in preparation for canning.

7. Time to stuff the jars! Tip: Make sure the jars, brine & lids are still nice & toasty or else they may not seal.

- Remove only a couple jars from the dishwasher at a time, closing the dishwasher door to keep them warm.

- Place 2-3 cloves or garlic and a couple pinches of dill in the base of the jar.

- Stuff the pickles in, starting with the bigger sized cukes, then filling the gaps with medium and smaller sized cukes. Leave at least 1/2 inch of space from the very top of the jar.

- Fill the jar with brine, leaving at least 1/4 inch of space from the top of the jar.

- Immediately place a canning jar lid from the warm water onto the jar. Screw the band part of the lid onto the jar, but don’t tighten it or it might not seal!!!!! Leave it fairly loose.

- Repeat these steps until you’re out of ingredients.

8. Place the jars somewhere out of the way to let them cool. Allow at least 1-2 inches between the jars so the air can circulate and help them cool & seal.

9. Wait for the lids to seal. You’ll hear them make a popping sound as the lids seal to the jar. This process can take up to 24 hours.

10. Test the seal by looking at the lids to make sure the dimple has inverted. You can also test the seal by tapping the lids (the higher pitched taps means it has sealed) or by trying to lift the jar by only holding the jar lid (without the band).

11. Wait 6 weeks then enjoy! Once sealed, pickles can be stored for up to 2 years.

Making Garlic Dill Pickles For Sale At Farmers Market

These are my Grandfathers recipe for crispy garlic dills. Different states and cities have different rules about what kinds of things we can sell at farmer's markets so be sure to check with your local Health Department to learn what requirements you need to meet and whether this or any other recipe will be legal to sell. When canning, always follow the recommendations and basic canning instructions of the National Center for Home Food Preservation or the latest Ball Blue Book, because those are the experts. Safe canning depends on it!

Aug 2016 note: The salt in this recipe is required as part of the preservation. Here is what the NCHFP says about salt content and pickles: ""However, the salt used in making fermented sauerkraut and brined pickles not only provides characteristic flavor but also is vital to safety and texture. In fermented foods, salt favors the growth of desirable bacteria while inhibiting the growth of others. Caution: Do not attempt to make sauerkraut or fermented pickles by cutting back on the salt required." http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/prep_foods.html

"Recipes for pickles with reduced sodium content are provided in Guide 6 of the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning." http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

"PawPaw's Pickles"

Brine:

10 cups of water (boiled and cooled, drinking water or filtered water)

2 cups white vinegar 5% acidity

1 1/4 cups canning salt

Mix together and stir until salt is melted. Do not heat. I mix it all in an empty vinegar bottle so that it is easy to store if I don't use it all immediately.

Into each empty. STERILE, quart jar put:

2 cloves of fresh garlic

2 pods dried red pepper (I used Chile Arbol. Chile Japones, Chile Pequins, or other small dried peppers would work)

2 teaspoons dried dill seed (OR one "bunch" of fresh dill)

1 fresh dill stem if you have it (I usually don't so I skip this part)

2 grape leaves (use one teaspoon unflavored green tea if you can't get grape leaves. do not use black tea, it will discolor the water).

Cut 1/4 inch off the blossom end of each cucumber and discard (it contains enzymes that cause softening). Cut cukes as desired. Pack fresh cucumbers into the jars and pour brine over them to completely cover. Leave 1/2" head space. Put STERILE lids on, finger-tight.

For CRISPY PICKLES, I process using the "Low Temperature Pasturization" method according to the instructions and latest recommendations from the National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/low_temp_pasteur.html :

Start heating water bath canner to 120 degrees Farenheit, and put jars of pickles in the water, making sure the water covers them by at least one inch, then bring up to 180 degrees F. Use a jelly or meat thermometer and keep between 180 degrees - 185 degrees for 30 minutes. Do not allow to go above 185 degrees. If it falls below 180, start the timer over. After 30 minutes, remove and set aside to cool and seal. They are ready to eat the next day. These are best eaten within 9 months (before opening... after opening, they must be refrigerated and eaten withing a couple of weeks). They will keep longer unopened but will eventually soften. The cucumbers must be covered with brine in the jar at all times, either before or after opening.

Homemade Dill Pickles.

Preserving and Canning foods is a prepper "MUST DO" - " MUST HAVE SKILL" (for my Salsa recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2grf21wFIgw)