Plenty of pickle recipes
After many years of trying a variety of pickle recipes, I think most of us settle on one or two that we make every year. For me, it’s Virginia crisps.
To make Virginia crisps you put the cucumbers in a crock and forget about them for a week. It seems a wonderful idea when you come in from the garden with more cucumbers than you know what to do with. However, we’re just fooling ourselves, as in no time the week is up and the cucumbers need to be tended.
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Thanks to E. H. of Saskatoon, for requesting a recipe for Virginia crisps. It gives me the chance to share this recipe from a Hughton W.A. community cookbook printed many years ago.
As in many of our old, hand-me-down recipes, alum is one of the ingredients. Today, alum is not recommended because it can impart a bitter flavor to pickles and can cause digestive upsets. I haven’t had a problem with it in this recipe.
Virginia crisps
Put two gallons (nine L) of whole cucumbers in a crock. Make a brine to cover, using one gallon (4.5 L) water and one cup (250 mL) pickling salt.
Bring water and salt to a boil and pour over cucumbers while boiling hot. Let stand one week.
After one week they may be quite scummy and soft, but they are OK. Drain and cut into the size desired for pickles.
For the next three mornings, boil up and pour over the pickles one gallon (4.5 L) water and one tablespoon (15 mL) alum.
Drain pickles and make fresh alum water each morning.
Fourth day: Drain thoroughly. Then mix the following ingredients, bring to a boil and pour over pickles:
6 cups vinegar 11Ú2 L
1Ú3 cup pickling spice, 75 mL
tied in a cheesecloth bag
5 cups sugar 1.25 L
1 tbsp. celery seed 15 mL
Fifth day: Drain syrup into cooking kettle. Add two cups (500 mL) more sugar. Bring to a boil. Pour over pickles.
Sixth day: Drain syrup as before. Add one cup (250 mL) more sugar. Bring to a boil. Pack pickles in sterilized jars. Add syrup to fill jars. Seal.
For safety reasons, it is now recommended that pickles be processed in a boiling-water canner. A similar recipe processes in a hot water bath, five minutes for pints (500 mL) and quart (1 L) jars. Start to time after the water returns to a boil.
The recipe is in Put a Lid on It! by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard and published by Macmillan Canada in 1997 and available at bookstores for $24.95.
More pickles
Dear TEAM: I would like some recipes for pickling asparagus. – I. L., Middle Lake, Sask.
Dear I.L.: The pickling season is here for some vegetables, however we are likely too late for the asparagus. In a cookbook by Bernardin, entitled Guide To Home Preserving, there is the following pickling recipe that can be used for asparagus and other vegetables.
Save the recipe for next year’s asparagus and enjoy it this summer with the vegetables yet to be picked.
Pick-a-vegetable pickles
vegetable of choice
4 tablespoons 60 mL
finely chopped red pepper
2 tbsp. each: 30 mL
finely chopped green pepper, hot green pepper
2 tbsp. minced 30 mL
garlic
5 cups white 1.25 L
vinegar
12Ú3 cups sugar 400 mL
12Ú3 cups water 400 mL
4 teaspoons 20 mL
pickling salt
Prepare one of the vegetables as directed below:
Fill boiling water canner with water. Place six clean pint (500 mL) mason jars in canner over high heat.
Combine chopped red pepper, green pepper, hot green pepper and garlic; set aside.
Place snap lids in boiling water; boil five minutes to soften sealing compound.
Prepare pickling liquid: combine vinegar, sugar, water and pickling salt in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil; boil for five minutes.
Add vegetable of choice, return to a boil; boil two minutes.
Place five teaspoons (25 mL) chopped pepper mixture in a hot jar. Add herb/spice for chosen vegetable. Pack vegetables snugly into jar to within 3Ú4 inch (two centimetres) of top rim. Add boiling liquid to cover vegetables to within 1Ú2 inch (one cm) of top rim (head space).
Remove air bubbles by sliding a rubber spatula between glass and food; readjust head space to 1Ú2 inch (one cm). Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Centre lid on jar; apply screw band just until fingertip tight. Place jar in canner. Repeat for remaining pepper mixture, spice or herb, vegetables and liquid.
Cover canner; return water to a boil; process 10 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 feet (305 m), longer for higher altitudes. Remove jars. Cool 24 hours. Check jar seals. Wipe jars, label and store in a cool, dark place.
Pickled asparagus
7 pounds asparagus 3.2 kg
2 tbsp. dill seed 30 mL
2 tbsp. mustard seed 30 mL
Wash asparagus thoroughly to remove sand. Snap off tough ends. Soak in ice water one hour. In addition to chopped pepper mixture, add one teaspoon (five mL) dill seed and one teaspoon (five mL) mustard seed to each jar.
Pickled baby corn
11 cups 2.75 L
prepared baby corn
6 small, fresh 6
chili peppers
Husk corn, remove silk and wash ears. Blanch three minutes in boiling water. (Frozen baby corn may be substituted for fresh corn, blanching is not required.) In addition to chopped pepper mixture, add one small chili pepper to each jar.
Pickled carrot sticks
11 cups prepared 2.75 L
carrots, about 18 large
or 5 pounds (2.2 kg)
2 tbsp. dried oregano 30 mL
leaves
Peel carrots; cut into julienne strips. In addition to chopped pepper mixture, add one teaspoon (five mL) oregano to each jar.
Pickled cauliflower
10 cups prepared 2.5 L
cauliflower
1 tbsp. dried 15 mL
oregano leaves
Wash and trim cauliflower; cut into small flowerets. In addition to chopped pepper mixture, add 1Ú2 teaspoon (two mL) oregano to each jar.
Pickled green beans
11 cups prepared 2.75 L
green beans,
4.5 pounds (2 kg)
1 tbsp. dill seed 15 mL
Wash and trim beans. In addition to chopped pepper mixture, add 1Ú2 teaspoon (two mL) dill seed to each jar.
Pickled onions
11 cups prepared 2.75 L
pickling onions,
about 2 quarts (2 L)
3Ú4 cup pickling salt 175 mL
18-24 whole black
peppercorns
Blanch and remove skins from onions. Sprinkle onions with salt; cover with cold water. Let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. In addition to chopped pepper mixture, add three to four peppercorns to each jar.
Pickled zucchini
11 cups prepared 2.75 L
zucchini, 4.5 pounds (2 kg)
1Ú2 cup pickling salt 125 mL
1 tbsp. celery seed 15 mL
Wash and trim zucchini; cut into julienne strips. Sprinkle zucchini with salt. Cover with cold water. Let stand two hours. Drain, rinse and drain thoroughly. In addition to chopped pepper mixture, add 1Ú2 teaspoon (two mL) celery seed to each jar.
