Crystal Pickles June 21, 2011

Some years ago, my friend Joyce gave me a jar of what she called Crystal. (I call it that now too). I didn’t know what it was and put it on the shelf. Some time later, when rummaging around for a snack, we opened this jar of heaven. Now I use this recipe to make Crystal.

Start with some fresh cucumbers.

Ingredients

• 7 Pounds Cucumbers, Sliced Lengthwise.
• 2 Cups Household (pickling) Lime
• 2 Gallons Water
• 2 Quarts White Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Pickling Spice
• 1 Tablespoon Whole Cloves
• 3 1/2 Pounds Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 8-10 Canning Jars of your liking (I like 1/2 pint). You’ll need more of those and less of the Pint Jars
• New Lids and secure fitting Rings

Directions

1. Day 1
   • Slice Cucumbers lengthwise to about jar size
   • Mix the lime and water and soak the sliced cucumbers for 24 hours.
2. Day 2
   • Rinse and rinse and rinse until all lime is off.
   • Soak in plain water for about 3 hours and allow to drain.
   • Stir together the White Vinegar, pickling spice, celery seed,
     whole cloves sugar and salt . Pour over drained cucumbers
     and allow to stand overnight.
3. Day 3
   • Boil the cucumber in the mixture for about 35 minutes or until TRANSPARENT.
   • Pack into sterile canning Jars, wipe rim carefully with a wet
     cloth, tighten lids and process water bath for 10 minutes.
   • Remove jars and allow to cool.

Water bath is placing jars in a heavy pot or canner and
then adding enough hot boiling water to just cover.

Finished product - 1/2 pint jars of Crystal Pickles

If any jars fail to seal, just refrigerate.

-Gretchen

 

Figlicious! August 29, 2010

Well, we are well out of fig season and deep into okra season, but I am still buzzing a bit from our incredible fig harvest this year. My husband, Albert, Chief Fig Harvester and Preserver, put up over 12 pounds of dried figs! We dry them on homemade screen racks that we stack above the AC exhaust. It blows hot air much of the day and is in full sun. A great, free way to dry stuff quickly.

I, Homesteader in Chief, experimented with pickled figs and a fig upside-down cake—both excellent. I’m hoarding the pickled figs until the holidays. Lucky friends might get a little sack of dried figs in their Christmas packages! Only if they are very, very nice to us all year.

Here are a few photos of the epic, but simple, cake:

figs and batter

figs getting all caramelish in the cast-iron skillet.

baked in the skillet and ready for slicing. vanilla ice cream a must.

all our figs come from this one tree. all of our dried figs come from the ingenuity and dedication of this one man.