Over Ripe Cucumber Pickle Food

CUCUMBER RELISH

Steps:

• Clean, seed (as appropriate) and finely chop the cucumbers, green & yellow bell peppers and onion.
• In a non-reactive bowl, combine the cucumbers, peppers, onions, and the pickling salt and cover it. Let it set in a cool place for about 4 hours.
• Prepare water bath canner, jars & lids.
• Transfer cucumber mix into a colander in the sink and rinse thoroughly with cold water for 4 minutes. Drain well, gently press more of the excess water out with your hands, set aside to drain further.
• In a large non-reactive saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds & celery seeds. On medium heat, and while stirring, bring to a boil.
• Add cucumber, pepper & onion mixture and while stirring, return to a boil. Reduce heat, but maintain a gentle boil for about 10 minutes.
• Scoop the relish into warmed canning jars, allowing ½ inch of headspace.
• Remove any air bubbles, wipe rims clean, lid the jars and apply rings only to finger-tip tightness.
• Place jars into the prepared water bath canner. Bring to a boil and process jars (8oz and 16oz) for 10 minutes.

SWEET PICKLES FROM RIPE CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Cut cucumbers into large strips or pieces.
• Combine salt and 8 cups of water in a large stock pot. Stir until salt dissolves.
• Add the cucumbers. Let stand at least 12 hours.
• Drain and rinse cucumbers.
• In a large pot, combine sugar, vinegar, 1½ cups water, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil.
• Add drained cucumbers.Gently boil until cucumbers begin to look transparent. You may have to do this in two separate batches if your pot is too small.
• Pack into clean pint jars.Cover with the vinegar syrup.
• Top with 2 piece canning covers. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
• Remove from canner and let sit on counter overnight.
• Pickles will improve with age, so let sit at least 3 weeks before serving.

SENFGURKEN - RIPE CUCUMBER PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers; peel, cut in halves lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
• Let stand overnight in a brine made of the salt and water.
• Drain very well and cut into pieces.
• Tie spices into a cheesecloth bag.
• Bring sugar, vinegar and spice bag to a boil; add cucumbers and boil until cukes begin to look transparent but are still crisp.
• Fill sterilized jars and seal.

COOKED CUCUMBER RECIPE (NOGAK NAMUL)

Steps:

• Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out seeds from the center.
• Slice cucumber into thin slices.
• Chop garlic and green onions.
• Heat 2 Tbs perilla oil in frying pan on medium high.
• Add cucumbers, garlic and green onions.
• Sauté on medium heat for 3 minutes.
• Add 4 Tbs water to pan and continue cooking (2 min or so) until most of the water is gone.
• Serve warm or cold as side dish.

HOW TO PICKLE CUCUMBERS (QUICK METHOD)

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, garlic, water, salt, and honey if using.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
• While waiting for the brine to cook, place the dill in the bottom of a quart-size jar.
• Add a few layers of cucumber slices. The cucumbers can be sliced as thick or as thin as desired, but the thinner they are the faster they'll pickle.
• Add a layer of onions (if using), then more cucumber slices, repeating until the jar is nearly full. Leave about ½ inch of head space at the top of the jar.
• Pour the brine over the pickles, put the lid on, and place it in the fridge. If you don't have enough liquid to cover the pickles, then add some more vinegar and water in equal amounts until you do.
• Wait at least 12 hours before eating the pickles (the longer you wait the more flavorful!).
• Tip: Since these are going to be kept in the fridge, a canning jar isn't necessary. Whatever heat safe lidded glass jar you have on hand that's big enough will work.

OLD FASHIONED SWEET CUCUMBER PICKLE

Steps:

• Please note that I use whatever quantities of cucumbers I have on hand, adjusting the quantity of brines and syrup to cover the cucumbers generously. You will need more brine to cover the cukes initially than you will need syrup later as there is a lot of shrinkage. Therefore I don't guarantee the above quantities will all work out exactly but each solution is easy to adjust to what you need. Start with what you think will cover the cucumbers and just make a little more if you need it.
• The use of alum is no longer recommended in home canning - I have noticed that some of the big pickle companies still use it and so do I in these pickles. It makes them crisp. I have made them without and they were not nearly as good.
• Day# 1.
• Prepare the salt/water brine by heating together until salt dissolves. It will cool sufficiently while you prepare the cucumbers.
• Wash the cucumbers in cold water. If they are less than 1 1/2" inches in diameter slice them in 3/8" - 1/2" slices. Larger ones may be halved or quartered and the seeds scooped out then cut into pickle-sized chunks.
• Put the cucumbers in a container (a large crock is preferred but hard to come by anymore - a plastic pail works fine). Do not use metal.
• Pour the salt/water brine over the cucumbers to cover. Place a plate over the cucumbers to submerge them. Put a weight on it (plastic vinegar bottle perhaps?). Cover with a cloth. Let stand 7 days.
• Day#8.
• Your pickles might not look very nice after 7 days but they are okay. Drain the brine off (dump in a clean sink), rinse the pickles and pail, put cucumbers back in and cover with plain hot water. Let stand till next day, (day# 9) drain again, and cover with alum/water solution (again heated to dissolve alum). Let stand one day.
• Day# 10.
• Drain pickles and return to pail. Prepare syrup by combining sugar and vinegar in a large (not aluminum) pot. Tie the pickling spice in a piece of cheesecloth and put in pot. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring and several of yellow. Bring to boil, simmer 10 minutes. Pour over cucumbers, submerge the spice bag in the pail.
• Every day, for 3 days, (days 11-12-13) drain the syrup into a pot, reheat and pour back over the pickles. Each day check the color, correcting it with yellow food coloring - it rarely needs anymore green.
• On day #14 put the pickles in sterilized jars, adding a piece of cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves to each jar. Heat brine, (discard spice bag)and pour in jars to cover pickles, leaving a little head space. Seal with 2 piece lids.
• Modern canning instructions would now call for these to be processed in a water bath for 10 minutes. I do not. If the odd jar doesn't seal I refrigerate it and use it first. In a cool dark place these pickles will keep a long time (I usually make a 2 year supply) Time and servings guestimated.

YELLOW CUCUMBER PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash, pare, and halve the cucumbers length wise; remove seeds. Cut each half through center, crosswise, then cut each quarter into lengthwise pieces of desired thickness. Let stand 12 hours, or overnight, in a brine made of the salt and water. Drain cucumbers thoroughly. Bring vinegar, sugar, and spices (tied in a spice bag) to boiling in a large kettle; add cucumbers. Cook gently until pieces begin to look transparent but are still crisp. Fill hot sterilized jars with pickles, then pour the hot syrup over them, leaving headspace.

SWEET CUCUMBER RELISH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Put the chopped vegetables-cucumbers, peppers, celery, and onions-in a large stainless steel or enamel-lined pot.
• Add the pickling salt, stir to blend, and cover. Let stand at room temperature for 4 hours.
• Put the canning jars in the water bath canner, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and keep it at a simmer (not boiling).
• Put the lids in a saucepan, and bring them to a simmer. Keep them in the hot water until you are ready to use them.
• Put the vegetables in a large colander, drain, and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Using your hands, squeeze out excess liquids.
• Rinse out the pot you used for the vegetables. In the pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and celery seeds. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Add the well-drained vegetables and stir to blend. Bring back to a full boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Fill prepared jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
• Fit lids on jars and screw bands down to fingertip tightness.
• Process in a boiling water bath canner with water at least 1 inch above the jars for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove the canner cover, and wait 5 minutes before removing jars.
• Once cooled, you can put a jar in the fridge and use right away if you'd like. Enjoy!