We just got back from vacation in Georgia. It’s such a great state with so many people committed to delicious food fresh off the farm. My kind of place, really. And to be honest, they make some mean fried chicken.
While I was there I couldn’t help but do some canning of some fresh Georgia peaches. I basically followed this method for canning the teeny ten pounds I had into four quart jars. In some of the jarred peaches I packed in some fresh basil,
These are my first pickles.
I thank sites like Hounds in the Kitchen and Food in Jars for giving me the nudge in the direction of preserving and pickling.
What is it about these methods that seem so daunting? Perhaps it is that you hear stories of the six thousand pints that your grandmother used to make at one sitting. (Who has time?) Perhaps it’s the old stories that it won’t keep as well as you hope. Fear mongers. Truly folks, don’t listen. You can put up just a few pints at a time, in two hours or less.
And the satisfaction of a pickle from a cucumber you grew or just picked up at a farmers’ market is like nothing else.
I made up my own pickling spice, because I think things can be a bit boring if you go the conventional route. I like a bit of extra spice. I also kicked in some fresh ginger in some and a massive quantity of garlic as well. They turned out crispy and salty and kind of awesome.
PK Szechuan Dill Pickling Spice
1 t caraway seeds
1 T corriander seeds
1 t cumin seeds
1 t celery seeds
5 cloves
10 juniper berries
8 green cardamom pods
1 T black peppercorns
1 T Szechuan peppercorns
2 T dill seed
Lightly crush all larger spices, especially the cardamom pods and juniper berries. Use in quantities as your pickle recipe advises.
Playlist included My Heart Skips a Beat by The Secret Sisters.
