Picking a Peck of Pickles

I think one of the most joyous celebrations of summer is pickling cucumbers. The brilliant greens, the pungeant smell of dill and garlic. Yum!

I wasn't satisfied with the recipes I had, so I took to the internet and found a recipe that had so many rave reviews, I couldn't help but give it a try. It called for the cold-can method, which, I've learned is discouraged by the FDA or whoever it is that advises these things. But the old-timers swear by it. So, I decided to try it. It was all so new to me that I felt like a complete novice. But in the end, I have 9 quarts of very beautiful looking pickles. The secret, supposedly, is to soak the cucumbers in ice water for at least 2 hours. The pack them with the spices and cover with boiling water. They look fabulous. The only problem is that we have to wait for them to cure for eight weeks before we will know for sure just how yummy they are.

I have a bajillion more cukes coming on, so I see a lot more pickling in my future. I'm going to try making some with jalepenos.

Here is a picture of the end result. My camera didn't quite capture the lovely color.

I'm thinking that we should have a coming out party eight weeks from now!

What pickle secrets do you have? - Nanette