Pickling and Canning experiences

lime pickles, bread and butter pickles, pickled peaches, tomato juice (top), and tomato paste (bottom)


This summer I have been trying to pickle and can some items to keep the summer joy of local produce all year long.  Last summer I made bread and butter pickles to great success.  What I found was I didn't make enough so I made more this summer.   I use standard pickling instructions (pickyourown.org has great instructions.)     Here is my recipe:

1/2 t ginger
2 c vinegar
2 c sugar
1 T mustard seed
3/4 T celery seed
1/2 T turmeric
1/2 t red pepper
1 clove garlic
1 c water
2 onions, sliced
2 lbs pickling cucumbers, sliced.
This made about 4 pints of pickles.

Next, I tried making Lime pickles.  My sister in law shared an old family recipe.  I took a sneak taste before canning and they were good, but I haven't opened a jar yet because I want to give them time to pickle thoroughly.

Lime pickles take a lot more time.  The cucumber slices have to be soaked in lime water for 24 hours, then rinsed a number of times to get rid of the lime.  They have to soak again in cold water for an additional three hours, and rinse and drain again.  The lime is said to give the pickles crispness.

The family recipe for 7 lbs pickling cucumbers is:

2 qts vinegar
8 c sugar
2 T canning salt
2 T canning spice (I was going to make some, but ending up buying it from Penzy's)
1 t cloves
1 t celery seed

Mix everything, and pour it over the cold cucumbers and let them sit over night (again).
The next morning bring the pickles to a boil and simmer for 35 minutes.
Put the pickles and syrup in jars and boil in the canner for 45 minutes.  
(Like I said it look a lot of time)

I also pickled peaches.  The recipe I used was from a book, but I didn't like the end result.  It called for equal parts of vinegar and sugar, as well as cloves and fresh ginger.  When I opened the jar this week to try them, I was really disappointed.  The book said I would taste peaches and summer.  All I could taste was vinegar and ginger.  I poured out the jar, but I want to try it again.  I found a new recipe that used half the amount of vinegar to sugar and will post after I try it.

Last, I made tomato paste and tomato juice.

We have spent a lot of time in the car recently and pass the time listening to podcasts.  On Sunday night I was listening to Good Food from KCRW and they discussed canning homemade tomato paste.  Since I had  a dozen locally grown tomatoes on my counter I knew I had to try it.

I used the directions at pickyourown.org and and was thrilled with the result.  I can't wait to open a jar after fresh tomato season.  I'm looking forward to spreading the paste on bruschetta and using it with pasta.

Because you have to squeeze out all the juice to make the paste, I had a lot of juice sitting there that I couldn't waste.  I ended up adding a little seasoning and lemon juice to create a tomato juice.  Noone in my family drinks tomato juice, but I find it in various recipes so I know it will be used.  I canned the paste and juice in half pint jars so I won't end up wasting half of the unused portion.

I'd love to hear what you have canned and pickled.  I am in a learning mode and want to try more.  I may pickle peppers next.  I seem to be getting a bumper crop from my little garden and hate to see them go to waste.