When this time of fall harvest comes around I really miss the days when I used to preserve, literally, hundreds of jars of fruit and vegetables.
It gave me a lot of satisfaction and, yes, pride, to see the shining jars standing side by side on the shelves and know they would provide many meals for my family until the next canning season.
Now, alone and in my 80th year, I placate myself by processing a few jars of the most delectable dill pickles you can imagine.
In past days I would use the end of the season cucumbers of any variety in the garden that were about 1 1/2 to 2 inches when their lives were cut short by cold weather.
Today several varieties are grown just for their maturity in time for processing.
Royal, Calypso, Regal and Blitz to name a few are the smaller, thinner skinned ones that keep the "dill pickle shape".
The six or seven inch ones that you see in the grocery store are longer, larger around and have thicker skin and they are used for slicing and side dishes.
Florida, California and Mexico provide most of the cucumbers for the U.
S.
but China holds the record for supplying 2/3 of the global need.
Did you know that some folks call them fruits instead of vegetables even though they belong to the squash and gourd family? And some are round, white or yellow? I'm not sure how much the pickling process lessens their effectiveness nutritionally but they are high in Vitamin C, beta-carotene and manganese.
They also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
But to begin with, be sure that your cucumbers are all about the same size, are washed clean and you have some one quart Mason jars ready that will seal.
I like to use the wide mouth Masons because it is easier to pack in the cucumbers.
First, in the clean and dry jars, drop into the bottom a slice or two of raw onion, a button or two of garlic, 3 whole cloves and 2 sprigs of dill.
If you like a little zing, add a couple of dried red peppers and a pinch of mustard and celery seed.
Then fill the jar quite tightly with the cucumbers but leave enough room at the top so they won't touch the lid.
Mix together and let come to a boil: 4 cups of white acid vinegar, 8 cups of water and 1 cup of salt.
Pour while hot over the cucumbers in the jars and seal.
(Be sure to cover the cucumbers completely).
This brine is enough for about 6 quarts.
It will take a couple of weeks for them to cure and then they're ready to enjoy.
I like to purchase the organic cucumbers that are unwaxed and have no chemicals added to them.
Organic garlic is best, too, and it is a good addition to your diet.
Each bulb contains 4 to 20 cloves so you only need a couple of bulbs, and from long ago has been used to prevent plague, gangrene, heart disease and atherosclerosis as well as the common cold.
Garlic also is an antioxidant and has been recommended to help keep the immune system in good order.
My grandkids like to see who can be the first one to fish out the garlic from the bottom of the jar which usually means they have to eat the pickles first.
That's no problem for me either! Do try this recipe.
If you are a pickle eater you will surely enjoy these.