Two Feet in the Dirt

Unexpectedly, Wednesday turned into a solid day of rain- perfect for the garden and also a perfect opportunity for me to get some preserving done! In the morning, before the rain set in, I was able do several hours of work in the garden itself- prepping a bed for the next planting of fall carrots, further trellising the tomatoes and peppers, and harvesting lots of beans and zucchini.

Because I’m caring for my one-year-old son as well as for the garden, my days are largely structured around his nap schedule. While my son is exceptionally good at occupying himself, there are certain things that are just easier or much safer to do when he’s asleep or contained in his high chair. As a result, I made use of his lunch time to blanch and freeze a second batch of string beans and then was able to can the newly-harvested zucchini during his second nap.

This was my first time pickling zucchini and I was very happy with the ease of the recipe for Zany Zucchini Pickles from our favorite Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving. With the work divided into three separate sections by the two soaking periods, this is the perfect recipe to do while working around a toddler’s nap schedule, when canning on an already busy day, or if you simply want time to sit down in the midst of the process! The final product looks great and we can’t wait to open them up once the fresh zucchini supply runs out. The only downside is that the resulting yellow-ish hue from the addition of turmeric makes these not the most photogenic of pickles!

Zany Zucchini Pickles (from Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving)

Ingredients:

• 14 cups zucchini, diagonally cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1/2 cup pickling or canning salt
• Cool water
• 6 cups white vinegar
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp celery seeds
• 2 tsp ground turmeric

Directions:

1. 1. In a glass or stainless steel bowl, layer zucchini slices with pickling salt, then add cool water to cover. Cover bowl and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Transfer to a colander over sink and drain. Rinse zucchini with cool running water and drain thoroughly.
2. 2. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes until spices have infused the liquid. Stir in zucchini. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
3. 3. Meanwhile, prepare canner and sterilize jars and lids.
4. 4. Return saucepan to medium high heat and bring zucchini mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until zucchini is heated through.
5. 5. Pack zucchini into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar and screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
6. 6. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.