Pickles and Plums

Well, I got a few items done on my to-do list this week. The girls picked plums and a few peaches for me to make into fruit leather. Unfortunately, our plums are not freestone making them a pain to process. So I only made 9 trays of leather because that was enough stickiness for me.

Next, I made pickles. Look at this strange cucumber....

I managed to squeeze it into the jar without cutting it apart, so that will be an unusual pickle!

I like making refrigerator pickles because they are a little crunchier and the whole house doesn't get saturated with pickle brine smell. It's also really easy. The only downside is you can't store them on the shelf- they have to be in the refrigerator. That means you are limited to making only the amount you can fit in your fridge while still having room for important things like milk. My kids would love to have a fridge half full of pickles but I don't care too! Here is the recipe I use:

1 1/2 quarts boiled water, cooled
2 dill flowers
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 1/2 pounds (8to10) pickling cucumbers
6 long sprigs fresh dill
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 up white vinegar

Put dill flowers and garlic in bottom of Mason jar. Add the cucumbers. Put sprigs of dill in center of cucumbers. Add salt and vinegar, then fill jar with boiled water that is cooled. Put on seal and ring. Shake to dissolve salt. Set upside down on counter away from sunlight and heat. Let sit 4 to 5 days turning the jar either upright or upside down each day.

Let sit upright 2 more days, then refrigerate. Lasts about 6 months.


Next year I need remember to grow dill so I won't have to buy it at Winco. Besides, dill smells so good in the garden!