Hot Bread and Butter Pickles

Lots of canning going on right now. We’re trying to use up all of the veggies before the season is over. I’ve tried a few recipes so far for various pickles, but so far these are my favorite bread and butter pickles. Not bad for a total experiment (trying to use up some cayennes).

If you don’t can, start. You’ll never go back to store bought pickles and veggies again.

Ingredients

1/2 lb of assorted hot peppers (7 oz. Hungarian wax and 2 oz. cayenne)
1/2 lb of carrots cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 medium onion thinky sliced
2 lb cucumbers cut into wedges
3 tbsp salt
7 cups sugar
7 cups vinegar
1 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp pickling spice
1 1/2 tsp turmeric

Yields 3 pints 

Directions
1. Combine vegetables in a bowl and mix with salt.
 

2. Let stand for at least 2 hours. Rinse and drain thoroughly.
 

3. Heat up sugar, vinegar, celery seed, pickling spice and turmeric in a large pot over medium heat.

4. Add vegetables and cook for 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat, cool for 15 minutes. Spoon into sterilized jars.

6. Process for 11 minutes. Let stand for 2 weeks or more to allow flavors to blend.
 

Notes:
The cucumbers came out a little limp, I should have cut them into slices. Also we came up short of 3 pints. Next time we’ll add a little more veggies.

Mixed Dill Peppers

This is a recipe that I did last year. It was a big hit. The garlic is wonderful and the peppers add the perfect amount of heat.

Our pepper plants are all full of peppers right now. We need to can a bunch of them soon before the frost comes.

Ingredients
8 cups of mixed peppers, sliced (I used Hungarian wax, cayenne, and jalepeno)
15 pearl onions cut in halves (about 2 cups)
4 heads of garlic, cloves peeled and cut in half
6 heads of dill
3 cups of distilled vinegar
3 cups water
1 1/2 tsp pickling salt

Yields 6 pints

Directions
1. Wash peppers.

2. Slice vegetables.
 

3. Bring vinegar, water and salt to a boil.

4. Divide vegetables and pack into sterilized pint jars.

5. Process in a hot water bath for 11 minutes. 

Sauerkraut Stuffed Peppers

These peppers are inspired by my grandmother’s (Mama Dessie) recipe. I don’t think I have them right but I really like them. They are wonderfully sour with a little heat.

Ingredients:

3 lbs Hungarian wax peppers (hot or mild)
2 cups sauerkraut
1 cup white sugar
8 x 1/2 teaspoon salt
8 x 1/2 teaspoon oil
8 x 1 tsp pickling spice
8 “dashes” of turmeric

Directions:

Wash, cut tops off and core peppers

Stuff peppers with sauerkraut as tightly as possible

Stuff peppers into sterilized pint jars

Heat sugar and vinegar to boiling

Place jars in hot water and pour boiling water over peppers. Let stand for 3 minutes then carefully drain water

Add salt, oil, spice and turmeric to each jar

Pour sugar and vinegar mixture over peppers

Seal jars (11 minute boil) and let cool

Let stand for at least a week