PICKLES  

by Lara Velez

The true history of the pickle is somewhat of a mystery.

Some believe that the pickle dates back to India–4030 years ago! 

(Recipes below!) 

Homesteading Event: “Canning Pickles,” Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 1 p.m., Wolcott Mill Historic Center in Ray, MI.  Remember grandma’s bread and butter pickles? Wish you could make them? Learn the process and enjoy those memories again. Pre-registration is required.

 The pickle was mentioned in the Bible by Jesus, and also in the Old Testament books of Numbers and Isaiah.

Napoleon valued its health benefits for his army.

George Washington had a collection of 476 different kinds of pickles.

In 850 B.C.,  Aristotle praised the healing benefits of the pickle.  

[Regarding this preserved curcurbit], Thomas Jefferson wrote: “On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up like trout, from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally’s cellar.”

So, what is all the fuss over a pickled cucumber you ask?  Who knows?

I do know that even today the popular pickle is everywhere!

The crunchy, tangy pickle is eaten out of jars, on burgers, and served with [deli] sandwiches. It is sliced, speared, whole, diced for relish, spicy, sour, and sweet. We just love the amazing, multi-talented pickle!

The health benefits of the pickle are incredible:

Raw, lacto-fermented vegetables (pickles) have good bacteria that inhibit the growth of harmful microbes in the intestines.

Pickles have a high concentration of vitamin C.

They help you absorb iron better.

Research shows that vinegar can help with weigh loss.

PICKLE FACTS:

* Americans consume 26-billion pickles a year. That’s about nine pounds of pickles per person  

* More than half the cucumbers grown in the U.S. are made into pickles

* Amerigo Vespucci, for whom America is named, was a pickle merchant before becoming an explorer

* Pickling has been used to preserve food for almost 5,000 years

* The pickle is both a fruit and a vegetable

No matter how you feel about pickles…they aren’t going anywhere.

So, grab a dill, sit down, and get crunching.

How to Make Dill Pickles:

4 dozen fresh, crisp, pickling cucumbers – DO NOT use the commercial, waxed kind!

Fresh dill, to taste (approx. 1- bundle)

 1 qt. Apple cider vinegar

8 c water

1 c salt

10 whole garlic cloves, peeled

2-4 garlic cloves, peeled, and crushed

Several Jars

Wash cukes and cover with cold water. Refrigerate overnight. Pack cukes into jars, tightly. Stuff equal amounts of dill into each jar. Meanwhile, bring remaining ingredients to a boil. Boil for 2 min. Evenly divide whole garlic cloves into jars. Pour hot brine into the jars. Seal. Makes 12 pints. After processing and cooling, jars should be stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.

How to Make Bread-and-Butter Pickles:

6 lbs of 4- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers

8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 3 pounds)

l/2 cup canning or pickling salt

4 cups vinegar (5 percent)

4-l/2 cups sugar

2 tbsp mustard seed

l-l/2 tbsp celery seed

l tbsp ground tumeric

Wash cucumbers. Cut l/l6-inch off blossom end and discard. Cut into 3/l6-inch slices. Combine cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Add salt. Cover with 2 inches crushed or cubed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, adding more ice as needed. Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot. Boil 10 minutes. Drain and add cucumbers and onions and slowly reheat to boiling. Fill jars with slices and cooking syrup, leaving l/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process pints or quarts 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. After processing and cooling, jars should be stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.  

How to Make Quick Sweet Pickles:

8 lbs of 3- to 4-inch pickling cucumbers (may be canned as strips or slices)

l/3 cup canning or pickling salt

4-l/2 cups sugar

3-l/2 cups vinegar (5 percent)

2 tsp celery seed

l tbsp whole allspice

2 tbsp mustard seed

Yield: About 7 to 9 pints

Wash cucumbers. Cut l/l6-inch off blossom end and discard, but leave l/4 inch of stem attached. Slice or cut in strips, if desired. Place in bowl and sprinkle with l/3 cup salt. Cover with 2 inches of crushed or cubed ice. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours. Add more ice as needed. Drain well. Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed, allspice, and mustard seed in 6-quart kettle. Heat to boiling. Hot Pack: Add cucumbers and heat slowly until vinegar solution returns to boil. Stir occasionally to make sure mixture heats evenly. Fill sterile jars, leaving l/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process 5 minutes in a boiling water canner. Raw Pack: Fill jars, leaving l/2-inch headspace. Add hot pickling syrup, leaving l/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process pints l0 minutes and quarts 15 minutes in boiling water canner or use the low temperature pasteurization treatment. After processing and cooling, jars should be stored 4 to 5 weeks to develop ideal flavor.

  

About the Author
Lara Velez is Editor-in-Chief of The Recipe Finder’s online cooking magazine. Visit today: http://www.therecipefinder.com If you need a recipe: http://www.therecipefinder.com/findarecipe.html Or receive our FREE newsletter: http://www.therecipefinder.com/newsletter.html