My cucumber plants were a little slow to get started, but now that they have, well, I have plenty of cucumbers, let's just put it that way.
Now, I like cucumbers as much as anyone, but there's only so much you can do with them. So I decided to try my hand at making pickles. My husband's uncle (affectionately known as Joe Bob) makes pickles every year, and certain members of our family love them. They're a little strong for me. But I do like pickles. So I asked the Google for a pickle recipe, and off I went! (Note - the ginormous cuke on the right has been saved for chicken treats).
I have never canned anything in my life, and to be quite honest, it scares me a little bit. But pickles can be made with a water bath canning method, rather than pressure, so I thought that would probably be a good place to start. So I cut up my cucumbers, some as chips, and some as spears.
Next up was the actual canning, which, quite frankly, to me sounds like a misnomer, because you're actually jarring. Anyway ...
Got the brine all mixed up, and processed them for 10 minutes in a water bath. Now they sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours, and then I'll check to see if they sealed properly. Fingers crossed that they did, and then they'll sit in the pantry for 4 to 6 weeks. I'll let you know how they turned out, but in the meantime, here's the recipe I used:
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