It's that time of year where all the fresh garden bounties get preserved and turned into delicious fall/winter delicacies. I'm partial to garlic dill pickles, so I've made four batches of them, as well as brandied cherries. Do any of you do your own canning, and if so, what are you planning to make?
Canning/Pickling
- Thread starter Thu'umhammer
- Start date
Well if I were to do my own pickling... I would figure out how to make pickles that are really sour but also have a bite to them. I've run into a few artisan pickles that were that way and man they tasted real good. Alas every time I try to find those same artisan picklers, they are no where to be found.
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- #3
I'd be down to try some of those Ender. What I love about making my own garlic dill pickles is that when you use fresh dill it adds a really vibrant flavour to the pickles, opposed to the dried spice stuff the big pickle brands use.
I've always believed that a pickle should be sour. I hate how gimpy the mass market pickles are today.
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- #5
I like a wide variety of pickles, but definitely appreciate the tongue tickling sour ones.
The worst pickle I ran into was Claussen's bred and butter pickle... that stuff tasted vile.
Hey Ender78 . . . What pickled things do you like? Do you have a recipe to share?
No recipes but I have enjoyed Pickled Okra, Home Pickled Jalapenos (had an old neighbor who made them until she passed away. She took her recipe to the grave). I have eaten and enjoyed a pickled egg once but only did it that one time it was a bit weird lol.
Just finished putting up a batch of hot plum chutney. Before that peaches and beans and pulled pork. Next up mincemeat and apples. Was planning on tomatoes but my Romas ended up about as big as a cherry tomato from the lousy summer weather. Still got a bunch of the pickles we put up last year.
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- #10
My pickles never seem to last me the whole year, no matter how many I make(my one weakness is eating pickles). It sounds like you've got the hang of canning for sure oldblue, what does hot plum chutney taste like?
It has the sweetness of plums, raisins, pecans and sugar, the tartness of cider vinegar and the heat of ginger and California and red peppers. It makes a great relish for most meats.
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- #12
That sounds epic.
Quite a timely thread. Just last night I did batches of pasta sauce, pizza sauce and salsa. All of those were with Mrs. Wages mixes for the seasoning. It's kind of discouraging that 18 pounds of tomatoes only produce 15 pints of canned goods, but it sure beats having to eat those tomatoes right now.
Last week I had done a few pints of beets in water. Maybe this week I can get around to doing some pickled beets.
Last week I had done a few pints of beets in water. Maybe this week I can get around to doing some pickled beets.
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- #14
Nice stuff Pugsly. Care to share your recipes for those goodies? Or is it a well guarded secret?
My only secret is that I stocked up on the packets of Mrs. Wages and Ball mixes on sale a few years ago. It's basically adding the packet to six pounds of tomatoes, cook and can. They make tasty stuff, so I'll keep using them until I use them up. Then I'll switch over to cooking from recipes instead of mixes.
My weakness is Dill Pickles too. I cold can mine. It's fast and simple, plus I don't have to worry about odd sizes and cukes picked early waiting for others to get the right size. I make spears, chips and baby's.
Easy 1 qt. recipe:
1 Tbl pepper corns
1 Tbl mustard seed
5 cloves garlic cut in half
5 cayenne peppers whole (out of my garden too)
1/8 cup Ball pickle spice
1/8 tsp Ball pickle crisp
1 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Several sprigs of fresh dill weed
Put the dry ingredients in the jar, add the peppers, slice the cukes length wise with ends cut off and slide in jar as tightly as possible. Add dill on top. Fill jar with liquid to about 1/2 inch from top. May need to add or subtract depending on how tight the cukes are packed. Seal with canning lid and ring and mark with the date made. Place in fridge for at least 30 days. I use my garage fridge. So far I have made 16 quarts with more to come. I only have two plants. These come out crisp just like in the deli.
Pickled Jalapenos, cayenne and Habaneros are on the list for hot sauce.
Two kinds of pasta sauce done.
Tomato salsa done
Tomatillo salsa is next.
Easy 1 qt. recipe:
1 Tbl pepper corns
1 Tbl mustard seed
5 cloves garlic cut in half
5 cayenne peppers whole (out of my garden too)
1/8 cup Ball pickle spice
1/8 tsp Ball pickle crisp
1 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Several sprigs of fresh dill weed
Put the dry ingredients in the jar, add the peppers, slice the cukes length wise with ends cut off and slide in jar as tightly as possible. Add dill on top. Fill jar with liquid to about 1/2 inch from top. May need to add or subtract depending on how tight the cukes are packed. Seal with canning lid and ring and mark with the date made. Place in fridge for at least 30 days. I use my garage fridge. So far I have made 16 quarts with more to come. I only have two plants. These come out crisp just like in the deli.
Pickled Jalapenos, cayenne and Habaneros are on the list for hot sauce.
Two kinds of pasta sauce done.
Tomato salsa done
Tomatillo salsa is next.
Tomatoes for use as sauce. My people put tomato sauce on their ice cream.
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- #18
Great recipe Khed, I'll have to try that some time. How long do the pickles keep since there's no hot water canning going on?
Not really a pickle, but preserving just the same! Here's a photo of my latest experimental creation, "Vodka Cherries" or "Cherry Vodka" if your not keen on alcohol infused fruit! The Cherries are Morello, from my tree in the front garden and the jars contain a bottle of Russian Standard Vodka each with added sugar to get the fermentation going again. Both are ready for sampling on Saturday, so not long to wait! The plan is to decant the Vodka into smaller bottles and make a pie out of the fruit. This year I managed to harvest over 20kg of nice healthy cherries, most of which my wife made into preserve for the winter. It would have been a shame not to use up the last few that she didn't want to use! 
Mine don't last much more than a year because we eat them that fast. They must stay refrigerated remember. The new year cukes come on about the time we are finished eating last years batch.
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