Yesterdays Harvest

[ness]

Sounds easy enough. Thanks.

Is this a particular breed of cuke, or do you just pick them early and it doesn't matter what kind they are? Can you cut mature cukes into slices and do the same thing?

Pickling cukes are smaller with a thinner skin and smaller seeds. But, any cukes will work -- just get them when they're smaller.

[jdmidwest]

Actually you can the pickles after you pickle them in spices. It seals and preserves them. I use straight 8 cucumbers around 6" long.

Here is a refrigerator sweet pickle Dad makes every year. Downside is it takes 6 weeks, but you don't have to can them, just keep in fridge when done.

cut ends off cucs and put in gallon jar

4 cups white vinegar

2 table spoon alum

4 table spoon salt

2 table spoon pickle spice

fill rest of way up with water

leave in frig for 6 weeks

pour off liquid and discard

slice pickles

put back in jar

add 4 cups sugar, nothing else

wait 2 days, shake often

sugar draws juices out and makes crisp.

[ness]

Actually?

The recipe I posted is a cold pack-type pickle. You ought to try it -- much simpler, crispy and fresh tasting. Ready in a week too.

[jdmidwest]

But Ness, I like sweet pickles and bread an butters. Never cared much for dills.

[ness]

Yeah, I like the bread and butter too. Here's an easy recipe for those:

1 large pickling cucumber, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 7-8 minutes. Transfer pickles and onions into container. Fill jar with brine. Leave a 1/2-inch space.

[jdmidwest]

Garden took a turn for the worse today in this heat. Lower third of the tomatoes curled up and lost their leaves. Jade Beans dropped about half of their leaves. Cucumber vines started turning yellow and wilting. Corn is a gonner, tasseled at 3'. Even hotter later in the week.

[Quillback]

Canned 7 pints of "Dilly Beans" Sunday, my first canning experience. Seemed to go well and it was easier than I expected. I'll have to give the beans a couple of weeks to marinate, and we'll see how it turns out.

[Quillback]

Garden took a turn for the worse today in this heat. Lower third of the tomatoes curled up and lost their leaves. Jade Beans dropped about half of their leaves. Cucumber vines started turning yellow and wilting. Corn is a gonner, tasseled at 3'. Even hotter later in the week.

I hear ya, my tomatoes aren't liking this heat.