Monday, June 29, 2015

A Plea for Pickles

Hoping some of my blogging buddies can help me with a pickle we're in.

Paul and I made a batch of refrigerator dills last week and I followed some sort of online recipe.  We tasted them after 48 hours of sitting in the fridge and said "Wow!".  Not as in "Wow, that's great!", but "Wow, that's potent!".  Too much vinegar.  I think it was a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water and not much sugar, maybe 3 tablespoons (for a gallon) along with the dill and pickling spice. 


Don't get me wrong, I'm going to eat them all.  As a matter of fact, I've got a bowl of sliced pickles that I'm crunching on now (and puckering up my mouth after each bite).

So, can any of you share your dill pickle recipe with us?  Either refrigerator or canned, although we'd prefer canned as I'm hoping that we'll have soooooo many cucumbers that we'll have an entire shelf dedicated to pickles in the pantry.

And heck, if you've got a super-duper bread & butter pickle recipe, we'd appreciate that as well.

Thanks!

5 comments:

  1. Everything we do comes from the Ball canning book. There are some nice recipes there.

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  2. I love bread and butter pickles. The best recipe I've found came from our late friend Winston. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

    WINSTON’S BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES

    4 QUARTS CUCUMBERS
    8 SMALL WHITE ONIONS
    3TBL MUSTARD SEED
    ½ TSP TURMERIC
    ¼ CUP PICKLING SALT
    4 CUPS CIDER VINEGAR
    3 TSP. CELERY SEED

    THINLY SLICE ONIONS AND UNPEELED CUCUMBERS. SPRINKLE WITH SALT.
    ALLOW TO STAND OVERNIGHT IN FRIDGE. NEXT DAY POUR OFF LIQUID,
    COVER WITH ICE WATER. HEAT VINEGAR, SUGAR AND SPICES TO BOILING
    THEN TURN DOWN HEAT AND SIMMER 5 MINUTES. DRAIN CUCUMBERS &
    ONIONS, ADD TO SPICED VINEGAR, STIR OVER LOW HEAT UNTIL MIXTURE
    COMES TO BOIL THEN TURN DOWN TO SIMMER FOR 1 MINUTES. STIR IN
    TURMERIC, POUR INTO HOT STERILE JARS AND SEAL.

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  3. I've used one I found online (which was also in a magazine I think). I have it on my blog at:http://pioneerwomanatheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/refrigerator-pickles.html

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  4. Here's the recipe I use and am happy with it!

    “Dill” Pickle Ingredients, Makes 4 pints
    7-8 pickling cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and 1 inch shorter than the pint jar.
    In a pot bring to a boil;
    2 cups water
    2 cups white vinegar
    2 tbs canning salt

    In the bottom of each empty jar add;
    1 tsp dill seed
    1 tsp chopped dry onion
    ¼ tsp garlic powder
    ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

    Directions:
    Always follow approved canning procedures keeping jars and lids sterile.

    In a pot, bring the water, vinegar and salt (and sugar if making bread and butter pickles) to a boil then add to the packed jars.

    Place in the bottom of each empty pint jar the dill seed, chopped dry onion, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes.

    Pack cucumbers into pint jars within 1 in. of the top.

    Ladle the hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace.

    Remove air bubbles, wipe rims clean and fasten the lids.

    Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

    Refrigerate after opening a processed jar.

    Ready to eat in 24 hours.

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  5. I have been using this recipe for years. I came form my old Kerr canning book. I added the Pickle Crisp it really help to make them crisp. KERR KRISPY LUNCH PICKLES
    A Bread & and Butter Type Pickle
    Adapted from Kerr Canning Book

    25 to 30 medium cucumbers
    8 large white onions
    2 large sweet peppers
    1/2 cup canning salt
    5 cups sugar (2 1//2 pounds)
    5 cups apple cider vinegar
    2 tablespoons mustard seed
    1 teaspoons ground turmeric
    1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
    Pickle Crisp (I use a heaping 1/4 teaspoon per pint)
    Wash cucumbers and slice 1/4 inch thick. Chop onions and peppers; combine with cucumbers and salt; let stand for 3 hours and drain.
    Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices in large preserving kettle, bring to boil. Add drained cucumbers; heat thoroughly but do not boil.
    Pack while hot into sterilized jars leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims and adjust lids.
    Process Pints 10 minutes Quarts 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: About 9 pints.

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