tiny reduction in cucumbers

My goodness, cucumber production has been stellar. Off the charts. A 5 gallon bucket everyday. CSA members backing away, saying "but I have not used up all from last week"..we know summer is upon us!

Yesterday was a cool, low humidity, slight breeze kind of day. Claire and I were up early boiling the big pot of water, sterilizing jars and converting cucumbers to pickles. Thought there would be a greater reduction in cucumbers but while we were pickling the plants outpaced us. Here is the process. At the same time we were gabbing about all sorts of things..such a pleasure to catch up with my girl!

First, we start cooking up apple cider vinegar, water and pickling salt. Just enough to absorb the salt.

Here is the salt, peppercorns, dill weed (called for seed but we did not have) and paprika (called for pepper flakes..which we had but the cleaning crew pitched after the fire and we for got to replace, substitution time!). Some of each into the jars.

Loading the jars.

Sunnyside Farm grown garlic goes in.

Cucumbers ready for the dip..next time pick earlier!

Now jars have garlic, paprika, peppercorns, dill weed and cucumbers.

Next is the pickling liquid we cooked up. We use the big funnel, but no photos, needed all our hands for that task. Here are jars with their rims wiped down and lids in place.

side view after the ring is added..already looking beautiful!

hot tub time, 10 minutes in the drink!

Removal..those tongs are made for pulling hot jars out of boling water..a must have!

and they rest on the counter for 24 hours. Homer will build a one jar deep shelf system in our mudroom/laundry room so we can line up strawberry jam, pickles, peaches, apple sauce, tomatoes of all kinds..we will probably do chicken soup too, and the idea of having them all where we can see them sounds like beauty to me..