Zucchini Mustard Pickles

Last November I wrote about making pickles with Sylvia, my mother-in-law. Now we are busy again, cutting up the vegetables for the zucchini pickles, red and green pepper, onion, cauliflower and zucchini of course. Our biggest obstacle this year is getting the time to do the pickles. Life is busier this year it seems and that's a good thing.

As we work, we talk about current happenings in our family but inevitably about the past, family, friends, events. Today we talk about Pop Lawrence, Sylvia's grandfather. Pop was in his one hundred and second year when he died. Imagine! His mind was perfect up until the day he died as well. What an incredible gift, to live into a second century and remember it all. Imagine the changes he witnessed in his lifetime as well.

Before long the vegetables are ready for the hot briny solution.

The recipe belongs to Shirley King, Sylvia's lifelong friend.

                                     Zucchini Mustard Pickles:  full recipe below.

Peel  and chop onions.

Peel and chop zucchini.

 

Chop peppers and cauliflower. Place the vegetables in the same bowl.

Mix 8 cups of hot tap water and 1/2 cup of salt. Add chopped vegetables. Cover overnight.

             Chopped vegetables in brine

Day 2

Next day drain the vegetables well. Prepare the bottles and lids as you normally do. We get 6 pint bottles from the recipe.

                  Drained vegetables

Mix vinegar, sugar, tumeric and mustard seed and bring to a boil. Pour over the vegetables in a large pot and cook for one hour after the mixture returns to a boil. 

                      Pickles cooking

Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and sugar.

          Thickening:  cornstarch and sugar

When the vegetables have cooked for an hour, sprinkle the sugar/cornstarch mixture over them. Stir to combine and let the vegetables cook for another ten minutes.

          Thickening added to pickles

Pour the cooked pickles into the processed bottles. Seal in a hot oven or hot water bath, whichever method you prefer.

          The result

                                                          Zucchini Mustard Pickles

                                                            Recipe by Shirley King

8 cups zucchini chopped

2 red peppers chopped

2 green peppers chopped

2 lbs onions chopped 

1 big head of cauliflower chopped

Place the vegetables in the same bowl.

Mix 8 cups of hot tap water and 1/2 cup of salt. Add to the chopped vegetables. Cover overnight.

Day 2

Next day drain the vegetables well. Prepare the bottles and lids as you normally do. We get 6 pint bottles from the recipe.

Mix 

1 quart white vinegar 

4 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon turmeric

2 teaspoons mustard seed 

Mix these four ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over the vegetables in a large pot and cook for one hour after the mixture returns to a boil. 

Meanwhile, combine

3 tablespoons of cornstarch

1 tablespoon of white sugar.

When the vegetables have cooked for an hour, sprinkle the sugar/cornstarch mixture over the vegetables. Stir to combine and let the vegetables cook for another ten minutes.

Pour the cooked pickles into the processed bottles, and cover with the processed lids. Seal in a hot oven or water bath, whichever method you prefer.

These pickles look, taste and smell delicious. They are great with chicken, meat or fish cakes, pork, beef or fish. They are excellent on sandwiches, hamburgers or hot dogs as well.

Make them with someone you love and share the result. The experience is as great as the pickles.