Pickled Cucumbers

These will take at least 2 weeks to be ready to eat and will get better with time. Can be stored for up to 1 year.

Ingredients

Pickling Spice

• 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons whole mustard seed
• 2 tablespoons whole dill seed
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice

Brine

• 6 cups water
• 13 cups white pickling vinegar
• 1 cup coarse salt (non iodized)

Pickles

• 1/2 bushel pickling cucumbers
• 4 jalapeno peppers
• 4 red chili peppers
• 2 heads garlic peeled and coarsely chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 230°F.
2. Thoroughly wash cucumbers and quarter.
3. Thoroughly wash peppers and slice.
4. Mix together pickling spice ingredients.
5. Heat jars in oven for 10 minutes to sterilize.
6. Remove jars from oven.
7. In a large stockpot, mix together brine ingredients and bring to a boil.
8. Divide pickling spice, peppers, and garlic evenly between jars.
9. Stand cucumber quarters up in the jars, pack so that they are tight but not damaged.
10. Pour boiling brine into jars until brine is 1/2 inch from the top of the jar.
11. Seal jars.
12. Put jars back in oven for 10 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and let cool.
14. Store in warm, dry place.

Source

Adapted from Holtizki and Waldbauer family pickle recipes.

Pickled Beets

Ingredients

• baby beets
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon mustard seed
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt

Method

1. Cut stems off beets 1 inch above beets and leave roots intact.
2. Wash beets thoroughly.
3. Cook beets in boiling water until tender.
4. Drain and cover with cold water.
5. Slip off the skins and cut off the roots and stems.
6. Put spices in a spice ball.
7. Mix together water, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
8. Add spice ball to vinegar mixture and boil gently for 10 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and let stand overnight.
10. Remove spice ball.
11. Bring vinegar mixture to a boil and add the beets.
12. Simmer 15 minutes.
13. Pack beets in sterile jars, cover with syrup, and seal.

Source

Adapted from Traditional Ukrainian Cookery (out of print).