SELENA'S AWESOME PICKLES

SELENA'S AWESOME PICKLES

I posted my go-to pickle brine recipe the other day.  I have been using this for a while now.  Believe me, when I say, it is really good stuff.  My friend Anna and I shared it together and I think we both are still using it.  Of course, there are variations you can do to kick this up a bit but overall this is my brine I use for almost anything I pickle.  For the record, there are some recipes that I make a different brine for.  Thought you might want to know that.

I have been in Texas for a week visiting my cousins and my Aunt.  Nanny turned 90 last week and I was fortunate enough to be able to travel out and be there for her birthday celebration her Church group gave her on Saturday.  I had a blast staying with my cousin Gary and his wonderful wife Karen.  I love Gary as if he is my brother and he calls me his little sister.  Being gone though got me a behind in my garden.  Scott picked everything but I still had lots to do and still have lots to do.  I came home rather sick and am on my second round of antibiotics.  Hoping this one will kick whatever I have away.  

Today I had to take care of a bunch of cucumbers and okra.  Since I love pickles I started on the cucumbers before bed last night.  I washed them and soaked them in pickling lime overnight.  I wanted to make sure they get good and crisp. 

This morning I rinsed them 4 times to make sure the pickling lime was off and put them in an ice-water bath for 3 hours to shock them crisp.  Did you ever hear of shocking something crisp?  I think I just made that up. 

I readied my jars with fresh dill, garlic cloves, and pickle crisp.  

Pickle crisp is the bomb.  I have been using it for a few years now.  

In a few jars, I threw in some scotch bonnet peppers.  I always use several garlic cloves per jar as well as dill from my herb garden. 

I sliced some of my cucumbers into spears and others I left whole.

My brine is a simple 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water and 1 to 2 tablespoons pickling and canning salt.  See this link for the full recipe. Bring brine to a boil and then put in jars with cucumbers, garlic, and dill.  I tripled my recipe this morning so I would have enough brine for everything.  

I also used pickle crisp and a few grape leaves.  I am not taking any chances.  I wanna make sure my pickles are nice and crispy when I finally open up a jar.  Which by the way, you are suppose to wait at least 6 weeks prior to opening a jar because you want the full pickle and crisp flavor.

Make sure your jars are sterilized.  You can do this in the dishwashing machine or in your water bath canner as your water is coming to a boil.  

Once you add everything, put on lids and rings to seal.  Place in your boiling water in your water bath canner.  Quarts process 20 minutes and pints 15.  I always allow mine to sit an additional 5 minutes with the heat turned off before taking them out to cool.

Nothing is as good as homemade crispy pickles that are from your own organically grown cucumbers.  Except maybe a sandwich you make with some homemade apple relish and pickles on the side.  

Of course, the pickles pictured are from last year's supply.  

You can put in some pickling spices if you wish but I do not do this because I do not like the flavor of certain ingredients that make up the pickling spices.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.  

ENJOY!!

UPDATE

If you want my brine recipe here it is but you can click on the blue link above to go to another blog post with more detail.

BASIC PICKLE VEGGIE BRINE

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoon pickling salt