Pickles....

 I was not a fan of pickle day as a child. Although I loved eating them , I didn't seem to appreciate to process from farm to table. . Nothing seemed worst than running  in the back door at moms or grandmas on a hot East Texas day and smelling the overpowering stench of vinegar and garlic for an entire day.  Back in the day we did not have super cool air conditioning..... so the hot humid Texas days didn't help the situation. 

Pickling and pickles go back in history to 2000 B.C . Pickles are created by immersing fresh fruits or vegetables in an acidic liquid or saltwater brine until they are no longer considered raw or vulnerable to spoilage. When we think of pickles, cucumbers commonly come to mind. Pickled cucumbers are often lacto-fermented in saltwater brine. . Cucumber pickles can also be made with a salt and vinegar brine, a popular choice for home cooks.  This is my favorite method for sure! The brine, known as “pickle juice,” is sometimes used by athletes to treat dehydration, though it has yet to be proven as a true remedy. Some plants seem to like this boost acid in the soil as well. I have even seen a few pickle juice snow cones at  our local  stand during the summer.

Of course, pickles aren’t limited to the dill and cucumbers.. They can be sweet, sour, salty, hot or all of the above. Pickles can be made with cauliflower, radishes, onions, green beans, asparagus and an assortment  of vegetables and fruits. Earlier in life, I wasn't particularly a fan of in my opinion a bunch of gross pickled veggies in jars...but of course as an adult, I  now appreciate the variety of fruits and veggies I can pickle and how they can expand our culinary creations at home and work ! In east Texas where I live, every BBQ joint you find will have the pickled peppers, onions, Dill pickles l and hopefully a few bread and butter  pickles on their buffet lines .

Last year my elderly neighbor that is a fantastic Gardener blessed me with sacks of cucumbers. Loren is not a fan of the cucumber but definitely loves his bread and butter pickles. Armed with determination, a pressure canner, cucumbers and an assortments of spices I set out one summer day to transform these into a treat for Loren. . Hours later I had hot mason jars resting, cooling and waiting to be eaten. We have enjoyed these all winter and so now with new gardening season on the horizon, I am already planning some different cucumber varieties to enlarge my pantry. I now am looking forward to smelling the pungent vinegar and spice knowing that a delicious treat awaits at the bottom of the pot!

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