Well summer is in full swing here in eastern North Carolina, which means the local farms have all sorts of wonderful stuff. Kate and I hit the Creedmoor Farmer's Market last week, and got cayenne, jalapeno, banana, and large hot peppers, zucchini and spaghetti squash, cantaloupe, okra, and string beans.
We had decided earlier in the week to have a pickling extravaganza at my mother-in-law's, and when we got there, she also had yellow squash, more cayennes, and "mini" tomatoes - that is, the resultant fruit of grape and Better Boy tomatoes cross-pollinating.
We used 2 recipes for pickling liquids, a "hot" based on white vinegar and salt, and a "sweet, made with cider vinegar, tons of sugar, and mustard and celery seeds. By the time it was all said and done, we had dill pickles, squash pickles, sweet pickled cayennes, sweet pickled mini tomatoes, sweet pickled okra, and sweet pickled string beans. Not bad for a weekend's work. Thanks to Gene and Barry for the lesson!
"Hot" pickle recipe
1. Add chopped onion and some garlic cloves, 2 per quart
2. Pack the produce tightly into the jars.
3. Bring 5 cups water, 5 cups white vinegar, and ¾ cup salt to a boil
4. Once boiling, ladle into your jars and immediately put the lids on as tight as you can
5. Give them 3-4 hours to cool and seal
6. Allow to sit for 2 weeks before eating.
"Sweet" pickle recipe
Note: this is adapted from an old cookbook and the proportions of liquid to produce were way off. I've included the recipe for the liquid; make as much as you see fit for the amount of produce being pickled. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF SUGAR!
1. Combine the produce and some sliced onion. Salt lightly and allow to sit for an hour.
2. Combine 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 3/4 cups of sugar, 1/2 tsp of celery seed, and 1/2 tsp of mustard seed; bring to a boil.
3. Add produce; return to a boil.
4. Immediately add to jars, cover with vinegar mixture and seal.
5. Allow to sit for 2 weeks before eating.
