The Rural Voice, 1980-09, Page 37THE RURAL FAMILY
PICKLE
POWER
Pass the pickles please! Pickle recipes are
sort of special. Certain recipes seem to be
posed on from one generation to the nett.
We've gleaned a few from the cookbooks
that we received from our readers. Hope
you like them.
Nobody 's too sure whose mother our
first recipe comes from but a Rural
Voice staffer says the dills are terrific:
MOTHER'S DILL PICKLES
2 fresh grape leaves per quart jar
2 large or 4 small sprigs fresh dill per
quart jar
About 31/2 pounds small unwaxed
cucumbers, 1 inch or less in diameter
and about 3 inches long
2 to 4 peeled cloves of garlic per quart
jar
1 (1 -inch) dried chili pepper per quart
jar (optional)
1 teaspoon mixed pickling spice per
quart jar
Pinch of alum per quart jar
7 cups water
1/3 cup coarse (kosher) salt or Vs cup
pickling salt or uniodized table salt
'/i cup cider vinegar
Wash and dry grape leaves and dill.
Scrub cucumbers under cool, running
water and trim away any bad spots.
Place garlic, spices and alum nearby,
and place the water, salt and vinegar in
a 2% -quart saucepan to heat while you
pack the pickles. Stir the brine
occasionally until salt has dissolved.
In each hot, sterilized wide mouth
quart jar, pack 1 grape leaf, 1 or 2 sprigs
of dill, a vertical layer of cucumbers, 1
or 2 garlic cloves, a second layer of
cucumbers, another garlic clove or 2, 1
or 2 dill sprigs, teaspoon of pickling
spice and the hot chili pepper if desired,
a pinch of alum and another grape leaf.
When all the jars are full bring the
brine to a boil, and pour it boiling hot
over the cucumbers to fill jars almost to
overflowing. Clean rims and threads
and seal. Makes about 3 quarts, but the
brine is enough for about 4 quarts.
Purposely. When the pickles have
stopped fermenting, you'll need extra
brine to make up for loss during
fermenting. If the solids are exposed to
the air, the pickles will mold and spoil.
IMPORTANT
Sometimes the lids will seal forming a
vacuum as they should for most pickle
products. They should not remain
sealed for this type of pickle, which
needs air during fermentation. So check
the jars after they are cool, and release
any lids that have sealed. Store the jars
in a shallow pan or dish to catch
overflowing brine. When the cucumbers
are a uniform olive green color and the
bubbling has stopped, remove lids and
clean them and the jar threads and
rims. Add more brine to cover solids
completely and reseal. Chill before
serving.
PG. 36 THE RURAL VOICE/SEPTEMBER 1980
•
PICKLED EGGS
2 c. vinegar
1 c. water
'/: c. white sugar
Salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
Boil until sugar is dissolved. Cool and
add cold peeled hard-boiled eggs. Best
after standing about 2 days.
Vera Nicholson
Bluevale Women's Institute
SWEET CARROT PICKLES
Cook small onions and carrots until
tender. Make a pickle brine of 1 pt.
vinegar, 1 tsp. celery seed, 1 tsp.
mustard seed, 1/2 tsp. tumeric, 1 tsp.
ginger, 2 c. white sugar.
Fill sealers with carrots and onions.
Add hot pickle brine. Put small bunch of
dill on top. Seal. Ready for use in 2
weeks.
Tonia Ballantyne
Canadian Galloway Association
BEET PICKLES
Beets
2 c. liquid beets are cooked in
1 c. vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
34 c. sugar
Cook beets and slice in kettle. Add
liquids as follows: 2 cups liquid beets
are cooked in, vinegar, sugar, salt and
pepper. Bring to boil and seal.
Mrs. George Kerslake
St. Matthews A.C.W.
PICKLED LEEKS
1 qt. leeks
1 qt. white vinegar
1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. whole peppercorns
Bring to boil vinegar, salt and
peppercorns. Remove scum. Put in
leeks and simmer for about 3 minutes or
until leeks look transparent. Bottle and
seal.
M. Jane Browne
St. Matthews A.C.W.
SEVEN DAY ONION PICKLES
1 gallon small white onions
salt
1 quart white vinegar
boiling water
2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spice
2 pounds sugar (white)
1 teaspoon alum
Scald the onions in boiling water,
then drain and peel them. Place peeled
onions in a crock with 1 scant cup of
pickling salt. Add enough boiling water
to Let sta.,u ,,.ernight.
Next day drain onions thoroughly, then