Directions: |
Directions:Peel, remove seeds and cut cucumbers in quarters lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt and cover with water. Let stand overnight. Drain. (We cut ours into strips about ˝" wide then crossways into 1˝ inch lengths.)
Cover with 3 qts. fresh water; add alum. Gradually heat to boiling. Let stand on very low heat 2 hours; drain; chill in ice water; drain.
Combine sugar, vinegar and spices loosely tied in cheesecloth bag; heat to boiling. Add cucumbers; cook for 15 minutes, or until cucumbers appear transparent. Remove to large bowl; pour hot syrup over.
Repeat process 3 successive mornings, heating spice bag with syrup. The third morning, heat syrup, remove spice bag. Fill hot, sterilized jars with cucumbers and boiling syrup; seal at once. Process in boiling water bath (212 °F.) for 5 minutes. Makes 5 pints.
Lisa wrote: This is as close to pickling watermelons as we ever got! People always told us these taste like watermelon pickles. They are great chopped and added to macaroni salad. When cooked the pickles turn a pale translucent yellow-white so we add green food coloring to them at the very end. Reheating is worth it. This is perfect with chicken pie. Long, slow cooking is the trick.They are perfect for using up the giant cukes that get away from you. I ask at the Farmer’s Market for the extra large ones and sometimes they will give them to me cheap just to get rid of the entire bunch. I used ten 5 - 9 inch long x 3 inch wide big cukes to make 6 ˝ pints.
This recipe is from Food Editors, "Freezing & Canning Cookbook", Garden City, New York: Farm Journal, 1964. |
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FAMILY STORY - PRACTICAL PEOPLE
Back “in the olden days” people made due or did without. Con Sr. had his own forge and a room to repair harnesses. Anna even had a recipe for wilted lettuce. Clothes were patched and handed down through the younger siblings, cut up to crochet into rugs, or sewn into quilts. Hog heads were cleaned and boiled down to make head cheese. Chicken feet were cooked to use in soup. Merlin Hopp commented that they used everything but the squeak when they butchered.
They took care of their own and it didn’t seem a lot different when they went through the Depression or saved iron and didn’t use a lot of sugar during WWII. Nina thought, “Life is interesting. Just look at today. I am glad that God is in control and he has a plan.” The year this cookbook was written was the same year we went through the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be interesting to see how we look back on it.
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This recipe for SPICY RIPE CUCUMBER PICKLES is from