Crisp Zucchini Pickles Food

SWEET AND SOUR ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• Place zucchini and onion in a large nonreactive bowl. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Add water to cover; let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly., In a 6-qt. stockpot, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add zucchini mixture; return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until heated through., Carefully ladle hot mixture into six hot 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and, if necessary, adjust headspace by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight., Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• Place zucchini and onions into a large bowl, cover with water, and stir in salt until dissolved. Let the vegetables soak in the salted water for at least 2 hours; drain and transfer to a large heatproof bowl.
• Bring sugar, vinegar, celery seed, turmeric, mustard, and mustard seeds to a boil in a saucepan; pour the mixture over the zucchini and onions. Let the mixture stand for at least 2 more hours. Return zucchini, onions, and pickling liquid with spices to a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.
• While vegetables are soaking in pickling liquid, sterilize jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the zucchini and onion into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top with pickling liquid. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area, and wait at least 24 hours before opening.

ZUNI CAFé ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash and trim the zucchini, then slice them one-sixteenth-inch thick; a mandoline works best. Slice the onion very thin as well.
• Combine the zucchini and onions in a large but shallow nonreactive bowl, add the salt and toss to distribute. Add a few ice cubes and cold water to cover, then stir to dissolve the salt.
• After about 1 hour, taste and feel a piece of zucchini -- it should be slightly softened. Drain and pat dry.
• Combine the vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds and turmeric in a small saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside until just warm to the touch. (If the brine is too hot, it will cook the vegetables and make the pickles soft instead of crisp.).
• Return the zucchini to a dry bowl and pour over the cooled brine. Stir to distribute the spices. Transfer the pickle to jars, preferably ones that have "shoulders" to hold the zucchini and onions beneath the surface of the brine. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least a day before serving to allow the flavors to mellow and permeate the zucchini, turning them a brilliant chartreuse color.

CRISP ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl or crock, combine all the vegetables, including the garlic.
• Sprinkle them with the salt; stir and let the vegetables stand three hours.
• Drain well.
• Combine the sugar, vinegar, water and spices in a large preserving kettle and heat to boiling.
• Stir in the vegetables and heat again to boiling.
• Pack the vegetables into clean, hot pint jars to within 1/2-inch of each jar's top.
• Pour in the hot liquid to within 1/2-inch of each top.
• Wipe off the tops and threads of the jars with a damp cloth.
• Put on prepared lids and seal as the manufacturer directs.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.