In A Pickle

This summer I have been blessed with an abundance of cucumbers.  Last year my only cucumber withered up before it was even big enough to pick.  So this year I decided to celebrate these cucumbers by canning pickles.  I had never made them prior to this, however I had purchased a crinkle cutter for my veggies at some Pampered Chef party when I was 12.  So it must have been my destiny to, 11 years later, make bread and butter pickles.  The process was simple and I used a recipe from the Ball Complete Home Preserving Book, which is an amazing resource for canning.  The only thing I think I would do differently next time is to add in pickle crisp because the pickles were a little softer than I prefer.  

Perfect Pickles

While looking through the canning book I also found a tasty looking recipe for salsa.  I had been lucky enough to be gifted a large bag of velencia tomatoes from a friend's CSA and this salsa recipe looked like the perfect fit for them.  

This summer salsa recipe is mild and very refreshing.

Before canning pickles I had only canned fruit jams.  Now that I am on this savory canning streak I can't wait to make more this fall.  I am thinking of making sun dried tomato jam and herb jelly.  

Till next time!

EM