Zucchini Pickles and How To Can Videos

Several months ago, I signed up to participate in the CanJam by Tigress where bloggers from around the world preserve food and blog about it. Each month we are assigned a specific food and we post the results of our adventure online. The purpose is to share recipes, tips and turn others on to the world of canning and preserving.

Then, reality hit. The show I work for, Growing A Greener World, went into full production and I suddenly didn't have time to can or even blog! So, I have not participated in the CanJam for the last several months. And it has been killing me! Especially as I watched my fellow bloggers post about rhubarb, asparagus, and berries!

And we have GGW Canning videos coming soon!

One of the reasons I have been so busy lately is that I have been filming "How-To-Can" videos for Growing A Greener World! Many of our viewers are growing food and now want to learn about preserving the harvest. As the canning expert for the show, I was happy to help take the intimidation out of the process.

Stay tuned for more info on our FOUR videos (Canning 101, Low-Sugar Jam, Canning Tomatoes and Quick Pickles). I will let you know when they are up on our site and on future episodes of the show.

Now...Back to The CanJam!

I was determined to make it back into the CanJamfold this month!

The assigned food was cucurbits which includes cucumbers, melons, zucchini and various other squash. 

FUN!

I used to have this great bread-and-butter pickle recipe using zucchini instead of cucumbers.  I am sure it is tucked away inside one of my cookbooks somewhere. BUT I COULDN'T FIND IT!

So I found a suitable replacement in the USDA's Complete Guide to Home Canning.  This guide is a great resource of canning information - especially if you are a beginner. I send people there all the time and I was pleased to see they had zucchini pickles.

A couple of tips:

You must use pickling salt (not regular salt) or your liquid will be cloudy.

Use small or baby zucchini so that your slices will fit nicely on a sandwich.

If you are new to canning, go to the USDA's guide for info on how to water bath can.

So here we go...

Bread-And-Butter Zucchini

16 cups fresh zucchini, sliced

4 cups onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup canning or pickling salt

4 cups white vinegar (5%)

2 cups sugar

4 tbsp mustard seed

2 tbsp. celery seed

2 tsp. ground tumeric

Yield: About 8-9 pints

Cover zucchini and onion slices with 1 inch of water and salt. Let stand 2 hours and drain thoroughly. Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil and add zucchini and onions. Simmer 5 minutes and fill hot jars with mixture and pickling solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. I like to first stack in the zucchini using tongs and then add the liquid so that I can fit as many as possible inside the jar. Use a plastic knife to remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed.

Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel. Add lids and bands and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

And that is it! A simple recipe that gives you delicious bread and butter pickles.

Excuse me while I go snack on a few...

Comments

[Teresa]

Can't wait to show dh this post/recipe! Hope you're having a wonderful summer, Theresa; I've not been blogging or blog reading as much. I do miss your posts. :)

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Thanks Teresa. I miss checking in to your blog too. I've just been on this roller coaster ride with this new PBS show job. Love the job - but it takes most of my time.

I have managed to keep up the garden. I had to because we were filming here. I will have to post some photos soon.

[Kristin]

I look forward to seeing more how to recipes, this one looks so easy. I will try it, thanks.

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

It is easy Kristin!

Thanks for stopping by!

[TC]

I bet those bread-and-butter zucchini "pickles" would taste might fine. My wife makes them from cukes and I bet she'd do them with zukes too.

I just mentioned the USDA's Complete Guide to Home Canning in my article for this week's papers. It's a great resource (the USDA's guide, and my articles, hee hee). I write a weekly gardening column for two local newspapers

[Ira Mann]

You made me remeber my Grandmother. She used to make the best Bread 'n Butter pickles. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Canning is a lost art. Most people today don't know how to can, and that is a real shame. Grandmother aren't (or can't) teach thier daughters and grandaughters how to can fruits and veggies.

Keep Up the good job!

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

TC

YOU and the USDA are BOTH great resources! Tee hee.

Glad you mentioned the USDA link in your article. it really is the best place to send newbies.

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Ira Mann,

Thanks so much for your comment. You are correct. Few people know how to can. I really want to change that!

Thank you for the encouragement.

[Kathy]

I had though about going to a canning class to learn how to can but, I am finding more and more videos online that has helped me out on the step by step process that I do not think that I need to go anymore. I can not wait to try your recipe out. I have grown my first garden this year and had great success with it. Now, I get to can it.

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Excellent Kathy! I am so glad that you have had success with your garden AND that you want to can the harvest.

Keep us posted on how it goes!

~Theresa

[www.livegreenwearblack.com]

I've been a big fan of zucchini b&b pickles for ages - I will often add a bit of curry powder and that makes a really amazing pickle.

This year, though -I had so much of an issue with zukes that grew to gargantuan size in just a day or two that I ended up finding another use for those guys. Cutting out the pithy parts in the center leaves plenty of perfectly good - shreddable - zucchini for Zucchini Relish!

http://www.livegreenwearblack.com/2010/08/pickled-zucchini-relish.html

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

I love the idea of adding curry powder. I am going to try that next. Thanks!

Excellent use of over-sized zukes. Good job!

~Theresa

[Susie]

I made the mistake of soaking overnight. :>( We had to have a meeting and I couldn't do them after 2 hours. I took one out and they seem soggy or spongy. Can I save them?