first batch of pickles

[gypsyman]

Finally got something to put up from the garden. It was so late when I finally got the garden in, wasn't sure if anything would produce.
The pickle's started to produce last week. Got my first bucket packed tonight, so will let it sit in the sun for a couple days, then in the refer in the basement. Hopefully will get at least 2 more in the next week or so. gypsyman

[Cornbelt]

We had a really good pickle crop this year. Plenty of rain. Some of the ones that were hiding out got an attitude; they were watermelons.
  So you're letting them set in the sun. Is that in brine, or lime water?   Dills?
 
 

[Elijah Gunn]

I'm canning my pickles right now!

[gypsyman]

Their in a brine. An old receipe my mother used. Vinagar,water,salt,garlic and dill. Put them in a plastic bucket,(I use a 5qt ice cream bucket), and set them out in the sun for 3 days. Then put them in a refrigarator, and start munching in about a month or so. gypsyman

[Cornbelt]

We havn't made any dills. Do you use wild dill, or get it in jars?

[gypsyman]

I use wild dill. Here's the recipe. 1.5qt of water, 1qt. vinagar, 3/4cup canning salt, dill and garlic. I use garlic that's already minced. I usually cut any cuc's that are more than an inch or so in dia. Lenght wise cut.  The 3 and 4 inchers I just cut the ends. I'll put a layer on the bottom, cut a couple dill heads and put some garlic in. Do that every couple inch's till the bucket is full. I heat the brine mix just enough to help dissolve the salt, not to a boil though. Fill the bucket till ready to overflow. I'll set it outside in the sun for 2 or 3 days. We had 2 days of real hot bright sunshine in the last 2 days, so I put them in the refrig. just a few minute's ago. Almost got enough for another batch today, so will try and get another one up in a day or so.
Couple years ago, Hungarian Hot peppers were just right, so put a couple of those in a bucket, just to liven things up. gypsyman

[bilmac]

I did some refrigerator pickles already this year. Used about the same brine recipie, but put pearl onions , snow peas, and green beans in it. Yummy.

[Cornbelt]

We canned a lot of sweets and bread & butter pickles. Cucumbers just kept on porducing. Decided to quit and threw out the lime only to have another go at it using wood ash instead of lime. Durned if it didn't work. Started out using pint jars, but had so many pickles we finally went to gallon. Don't know how long it'll take the two of us to polish off a gallon of pickles, but it sure went easier with a big jar.

[bilmac]

I'll have to send my grandson to visit gypsy, he's a pickleholic. 10 gallonsof dills'  WOW.

[steg]

Their is a way to process your pickles, so that you don't have to keep them refrigerated, and they still stay crunchy, it's a PITA, but it's worth the trouble, especially if you don't have refrigerator room, and want to put up big batches. use whatever recipe your using now, and jar the Pickles the same way you would if you were canning them. Place the Pickle jars in any large pot or canning pot, and the trick is to bring them up to 180 degrees, and hold it for 30 minutes, too low a heat and they won't process, too high a heat and you end up with soggy pickles. Done right you can store them on a shelf in youe pantry, I have some that are four years old and they are still good. They figgure that the 180 degrees and the acid content from the Vinegar is what makes it possible to do it this way....................................steg

[Cornbelt]

Another trick for crisp pickles is a grape leaf in each jar. We put up some with and some without. Big difference. Now when we go to the pantry for a jar of pickles, we get one of each and dump them together for a couple days.

[steg]

I had heard of using Grape leaves in with the pickles, but everytime that I get set up to process a batch, I always forget to try it out, one of these times hands and brain will get together and it will happen, plus I've heard from more than one soure that it does just what you say it does..........steg

[blind ear]

Eating all those pickles, if you start to have hemroid problems, you might have to lay off the pickles a while and take some vitamin B complex to get your bung hole back in shape. HA HA !!!! (I'm really not jokeing) eddiegjr

[srussell]

use alum for crisp pickles about 1/4 tesp per qt.