Six Of One, Half Dozen Of The Other

Day 311: Because I am a small person, I like small things: cherry tomatoes, for example. I grow bite-sized Sungolds not only for their shorter growing period, but for their convenient consumability. For the same reason, I was enchanted by the idea of Mexican Sour Gherkins, a miniature cucumber which could easily be fobbed off in a Barbie-doll diorama as a seedless watermelon. Yep, what you see in this photo are fully ripe cukes, and "sour" is something of a misnomer. They have a slight tang to their crisp white flesh and a flavour which is vaguely reminiscent of the aforementioned melon's transition zone from pink to white which, as we all know, is the part used in making watermelon pickles. And let me tell you, that plant produces! It has climbed the tower, advanced outward to the fence and is busily making dozens, perhaps hundreds of little bitty cucumbers. I'm not sure enough will be ripe simultaneously for me to harvest them for pickles (there might be, if I could stop eating them), but next year, I plan to grow more expressly for that purpose.

Pickled

Day 308: After making seven pints of curry pickles a week ago (my mother's recipe), I realized that they weren't going to go very far if I gave a bottle to everyone who dropped hints. The next time I went to town, I bought more cucumbers, sugar and spices, and another dozen Kerr pint jars (my preferred brand). I checked with Kevin to see how much work had piled up on my desk (not much), and then took Wednesday off to can.

Pickles are a two-day process. The chunked cucumbers must be soaked in brine 24 hours before the actual canning can be done. The canning process involves every square inch of counter space within reach of the stove, and every burner is occupied by the canning kettle or some other vessel holding hot water, lids or rings, or in the boiling of the pickles preparatory to putting them in the jars. Modern stoves aren't built to accommodate a large hot-water bath canner along with the other implements necessary for the job, but somehow I manage to pull it all together in a timely manner. That's a factor: the jars must be sterilized by boiling for 20 minutes, the vegetables must be boiled in the spice liquid for 5, and the lids and rings must be scalded for 5. Big kettles and little pots must reach the boiling point in sequence so that at the last minute, everything is ready for the final stage. Once the hot pickles are in the jars and have been topped up with liquid, the rims must be wiped and the lids applied. Then they're placed in the hot-water bath and processed (boiled) for ten minutes.

Once I've lowered them into the canner, I can relax...or start cleaning up the kitchen. There's nothing left to do except remove the pickles from their bath and wait to hear the delightful sound of *plink!* *plink!* *plink!* as the jars seal. The pickles? Far and away my favourite sweet pickle, they shouldn't be opened for at least two weeks in order to develop the full flavour.

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!