Canning Pickles

While my garden is not yet ready to start canning from, my sister-in-law and her husband planted about 6 weeks earlier than we did and she's been sharing. I sent over some homemade bread one day and the next day she sent over a bunch of cucumbers! I didn't even plant cucumbers this year so it was even better. I looked up a recipe for bread and butter pickles and have made about 8 jars (she's sent them twice now as she has more than she can use). This recipe also uses white onions which I bought at the store. We opened some last week and put them on grilled burgers and OH. MY. GOODNESS. they were good! Much better than anything I've ever bought at the store.

I've never canned pickles before but I found it to be simple, yet time consuming. I think that basically sums up canning of all types. It's not really hard, it just takes time, but it's well worth the effort.

And, as for my sister-in-law's garden goes - I'm going to go take photos. It's awe-inspiring. Seriously. She and her husband have been avid gardeners since they got married and they're really good at it. They have lots of ideas to share.

Here is a photo of my canning jars preparing to boil and sanitize before I made the bread and butter pickles.

When it comes to jars, they can be expensive. When we moved into our home we found boxes and boxes of canning jars thrown out in the shed. They were dirty, but since they are glass, we can wash and sanitize them and they'll be as good as new. All I've had to buy are some new lids and bands and we're good to go. I've also heard of people finding them for pennies at yard sales.

These particular jars (shown), however, are very special. My dad found boxes of canning jars that belonged to my great-grandmother. She used to can in them. I LOVE antiques. Most of these jars only have slight differences to the modern ones, like different designs, but to me they are treasures. I used some of them to can the pickles and I reminisced about what my Great Granny Hare would have canned in them and what it was like in her garden and in her kitchen where she did her canning. Some of the jars are an antique green glass. I can't wait to use them. Maybe for green beans?

An added bonus of making these pickles is that I will soon have a year's supply of pickles in my food storage. That may not sound like much but it's one less thing I have to buy at the store over the next year. I can use them for all sorts of things; garnishes, toppings, tuna salad, potato salad, etc. And, if you're wondering about the onions, they're as crunchy and tasty as the pickles. Divine!