Homemade Pickles

This year in our garden I decided to add a few pickling cucumbers so we could make sweet bread & butter pickles. We have had quite a crop coming in, so it was time to get to it. I have never canned anything before, so I checked out Youtube and watched it step-by-step.

Here is what we did.

 Chop pickling cucumbers about 1/4" thick. Then put in a large bowl and cover with ice
and Kosher salt. Let stand about 3 hrs.

When the 3hrs is up, rinse and drain cukes. Pour 4-5 cups white vinegar into large pot. Add 2 1/4 cups sugar, 1 Tbsp mustard seed, 1/2 tsp celery seed, 1 tsp turmeric. Bring to a boil and add the cut cukes.

Get your canning jars ready!

Boil water in another large pot and carefully drop in jars and lids. Boil a few minutes then very carefully remove. There are special canning tools, but I don't have any- yet.

When your cucumbers start boiling again & looking like green pickles (about 15 min) they are ready!

Fill jars with a slotted spoon within 1 inch of the top. Then, add liquid brine to the top, add cover & screw on lid tightly. You are done!  If you are planning on canning a lot and not refrigerating the cans, then do one more step. Put filled & lidded jars back in the boiling water and boil 10 min more. Water should cover jars by 1/2".  Yum!