Pickled!

Day 332: A few days ago when a Parkie friend asked me if I would like some of her pickling cucumbers, my response was enthusiastic, "I haven't made pickles in YEARS!" She dropped off about a dozen small cukes yesterday which I brined overnight, and this morning made a half-batch of my mother's curry pickles which in my considered opinion are the best pickles in the world. Pickles are no more difficult to make than jam (perhaps even easier), but although my mother's directions say to pour into sterilized jars and seal without additional processing, modern recipes recommend placing them in a boiling-water bath for reasons of safety. I've adapted my mom's instructions to reflect that. The addition of a small amount of curry powder gives these pickle chunks a little extra zing and a flavour which can't be found in your average supermarket. For the full 6-pint recipe, follow the directions given below. For a half batch, use half as many cukes and brine according to the instructions, but when making the pickling liquid, reduce the vinegar to 1 1/2 cups and the sugar to 1 3/4 cups. Select firm, small cucumbers for your pickles. Wash them thoroughly before brining.

Make a brine of 1/2 cup NON-iodized or pickling salt and 8 cups of water. Place the cucumbers in the brine and weight them to hold them beneath the surface of the brine. For crisper pickles, separate layers of cukes with washed, raw grape leaves (optional). These will be discarded after brining. Allow the cucumbers to sit in the brine for 12 hours. Keep them in the brine until you have sterilized your canning jars by boiling them in a covered pan for 20 minutes. Near the end of the boiling time, prepare jar lids and rings and assemble your canning equipment. Have scalded lids ready to go.

You will need:
16 cups of brined cucumber chunks
2 cups of 5-6% white vinegar
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 cup of mustard seed
1 Tbsp. celery seed

Rinse and drain the cucumbers. Rinse a second time and cut into bite-size chunks. Combine all ingredients except the cucumbers and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Add cukes and return to the boil. Keep at a simmer while you remove the jars from the boiling water. Ladle cukes into jars and top up with liquid to within 1/4" of the rim. Seal. Place the sealed jars into a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on the counter. Pickles will be ready to eat in two weeks!