August 2005 Archives

Are you looking for something else to do with those cucumbers from the garden or the local market? Try making Mustard Pickles.

I make these in a quart glass jar, but other containers should work as well. I'd avoid metal containers, though, as the vinegar may react.

For a quart jar, combine:

1 pint apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp pickling salt
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp dry mustard (not prepared mustard)

Mix this up in the jar. Cut up the cucumbers and add them. Cover the container and let it sit for a few hours or more. As you consume the pickles from the jar, you can keep adding more cucumbers. I also put in some onion, garlic, and hot peppers for extra flavor, and those vegetables are good pickled, too!

For a larger or smaller container, simply scale the recipe. You want the vinegar amount to be approximately half the volume of the container. For example, if you are using a half-gallon jar, you would use 1 quart of vinegar and 4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) each of salt, sugar, and mustard.

These pickles are a family tradition. We always had a jar of mustard pickles every summer.

I just ordered the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry 15 1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker from Amazon.com. This is the "All-American" canner, but Amazon sells it under the name of the manufacturer, Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry. I'm starting to get lots of tomatoes from the garden, so I will probably get to use the canner soon!

This canner will handle 7 quart jars or 10 pint jars. I also have the Presto 01282 8-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker and Canner, which can handle 7 pint jars, so I could use both canners and do 17 pint jars at once if necessary.

I wish the cafeteria at my workplace had stuff like this!