I’ve been making pickles this week. I have made refrigerator pickles, lime pickles, dill pickles, and bread and butter pickles. These are my bread and butter pickles. I’ve never made pickles before, but we’ve had a bumper crop of these.
Every time I walk out into the garden, I gather a bunch of cucumbers. Sometimes I go out early in the morning and gather some, and then by the late afternoon there are more of them on the vine. So I’ve had to figure out what to do with them.
Luckily, I already had the canning equipment and the jars. But I found these cute red and white jar lids at Walmart. They also had these.
And these.
They even had little wire caddies to put your jars into if you are giving them to someone. I didn’t buy the caddies at first, but I went back later in the week to get some of those, too.
I got my recipes for making pickles from this book, which I highly recommend if you are interested in canning or preserving food.
The book covers all the equipment and procedures for canning food safely. And there are tons of recipes in the book. (Well, actually there are 400 recipes.)
Before I made my bread and butter pickles, I had to soak the cucumber slices in a salt solution. I used canning and pickling salt and not regular salt. Regular salt can make your pickles cloudy due to the additives that are in the salt. (I didn’t know that until I read it in the book.) And there is a difference in the saltiness of regular salt and pickling salt. (Didn’t know that either!)
This big pot of cucumbers made 13 pints of bread and butter pickles.
Why did I go to the trouble to make all of these pickles? Well, I was beginning to wonder that myself this week. Actually, I have always been interested in canning food but never really had the time to do so until I retired from teaching. I remember my grandmother canning a lot of food and I thought there was nothing better than her okra, tomatoes, and corn. We always had a garden when I grew up, but my mother froze her surplus of vegetables. I do a little of both. And in the middle of winter, there is nothing better than having some of those good summer vegetables that you’ve grown and preserved yourself.
Even though I have been making different kinds of pickles this week, I was most proud of how the bread and butter pickles looked. So I went back to Walmart to get 3 of these cute caddies.
And 3 special ladies that I’ m going to see this week are going to be the recipients of these jars of bread and butter pickles.
I’m linking up to these great parties:
Newbie Party at Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing
Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle
Kitchen Witch says
June 16, 2011 at 7:22 pmI love those caddies. I need to stock up on canning supplies as I’m new to the whole thing!
Vicki at Rusty Rooster Vintage says
June 15, 2011 at 6:28 pmJane – These pickle caddies are just precious! Your girlfriends are going to love them. Bread and Butter are my favorite pickles. We had a neighbor growing up that had an incredible garden and a stock room full of summer veggies canned and waiting. She was so kind to share too. Your summer wreath turned out well. Thanks for stopping by my place today. Take care xoxo
Terri says
June 15, 2011 at 7:41 amOh how I love pickles! The jars are so cute! What a great little gift! I would love for you to link up tomorrow at “It’s a Party”!
Carolyn@Sweet Chaos says
June 14, 2011 at 7:09 pmLucky ladies who are receiving those sweet gifts…. YUM! I have never made pickles, but I sure do like to eat them 🙂 Love the cans, lids and caddies!
Mary says
June 14, 2011 at 6:14 pmWhat a wonderful gift~ love those cute caddies with the labels & tags! Whenever I hear of someone making pickles I always think of the episode of Aunt Bee’s pickles and “Operation Pickle Switch” on Andy Griffith 🙂
Dee says
June 14, 2011 at 8:25 amI love pickles! The tops and tags are wonderful. Your caddies make the perfect gift.
I bet your friends are going to love them.
marianne says
June 13, 2011 at 3:23 pmOh what a great gift, those little black baskets are just adorable! I just love homemade jarred anything. My mom used to jar green picked tomatoes…maybe I’ll give it a whirl one day!
Marianne 🙂
Tanya @ Greetings From the Asylum says
June 13, 2011 at 3:14 pmWhat a busy lady you are! And what a sweet (or savory) handmade gift to share with your friends. Thanks for sharing your process and insights (if not the pickles themselves)! 🙂
Jo says
June 13, 2011 at 3:46 pmJane your pickles look wonderful, I know they are sooo delish, and the jar lids are shweet too!
Hey I’m having my first giveaway June 15th!
Sure hope you can join us(HappierThanAPigInMud),we are having a cookalong with the Pillsbury Doughboy and I’m giving away a Pillsbury cookbook and a doughboy.
~JO
Lazyonloblolly
Mimi says
June 13, 2011 at 9:19 amJane, thanks so much for posting this! I have an old recipe of my grandmother’s from way back that I haven’t made in 20 years! Your post and the adorable jars and caddies have inspired me to try this again. So glad I saw this at Debbie Doos and Dittle Dattle!
jennifer says
June 13, 2011 at 12:28 amThose are adorable Jane!! I need to learn how to do canning!
debbie says
June 12, 2011 at 10:12 pmJane those are awesome gifts..we love pickles. Thanks for sharing with the newbie party.
Beverly says
June 12, 2011 at 9:36 pmOh man Jane I wish I was a friend living near. That is a lost art and sooo good. Wonderful!
Nicole says
June 12, 2011 at 9:16 pmThese look fabulous! Where did you get the book?? We started a tradition last fall of making homemade strawberry jam with my stepmom and 2 sisters. They made fabulous Christmas presents, and we have jam for the entire year! 🙂
Daniella says
June 12, 2011 at 5:39 pmHiya Jane!!
I haven’t visited in FOREVER!!! I have been following you forever, but haven’t visited in forever either!!
I’m glad I came back to see this awesome post! I have a ton of canning jars, but have no idea how to can! But they sure look pretty!
I can only imagine how delicious your pickles are! I don’t garden 🙁 I just started an herb garden this year! Wish me luck!!
xxDaniella
Kit Smith says
June 12, 2011 at 12:01 pmJane,
How cute! I have just recently gotten hooked on bread and butter pickles. Keep it up.
David McLaurin says
June 12, 2011 at 10:02 amThanks for the post. I had some great pickles at the Darlington Race this may and remembered my grandmother making some great Bread and Butter Pickles too. I am going to give it a shot. We don’t have a garden, but there is a road side place in Greer (that has it’s own peach trees out back) and I also wanted to try and putup some peaches.
Linda says
June 12, 2011 at 7:57 amI love to be a winner of one of these. I love bread & butter pickles and the little caddie is so cute. I have done a lot of canning but this year I did not get a garden out…..my mother has been sick and I started a new job and have not had time to put out a garden. My mother and I canned Plum Jam last year and that was out first on that….it was a big hit.
God Bless & have a great Sunday!
Pattie Taylor says
June 12, 2011 at 7:03 amThose look so good….
Pattie
Carolyn says
June 11, 2011 at 10:08 pmLOVE those jar lids! And wow on making your own pickles. I’ve always wanted to try to make them but never seem to find the time. You’ve inspired me!! (Let me know if you need my mailing address to unload some of those. LOL!)
Barbara F. says
June 11, 2011 at 9:58 pmI would be so happy to be a recipient of something like this….I love those little caddies.
Nothing like homemade. xo,