Monday, August 8, 2011

Pickled veggies from the wonder garden

My sister gave me permission to continue filling this space with home stuff. (I think I'll keep her.) So, because she said it's OK, here's the latest from my garden.

If you have been here for any amount of time, you know that gardening is not my forte. In fact, I have put more plants through a tortured life and death than I care to recall. Until this year.

This is the year of the wonder garden... as in jaw-dropping lush green growth and "I wonder what that plant is?" The cause? Straight from the farm cow *ahem* droppings and compost. The compost has been cooking all year and went on the bare soil in the early spring. The cow stuff was added a couple of weeks before planting.

As a result of lush soil and tons of volunteer plants, we find green vines growing and twisting around, over, and through every inch of the garden. There are melons, squash of every variety, and almost a dozen tomatoes plants that I never bought. In this jungle of vines are cucumbers that grow w-a-a-a-y too big under the cover of giant squash leaves.

The solution? Refrigerator pickles. I found an amazing, easy recipe here. I have made several batches using my over sized cukes, turnips and green beans. Wonderful!! Every time.

I have pictures of the process, just to convince you to go get the recipe and try this out.

Measure the spices.



Add the spices to two pint jars.

  

Put cut up veggies of choice in the jars, add vinegar-salt-sugar mixture, plus enough water to cover everything. 


Put the jars in the fridge. Try to wait until tomorrow to taste. You will be amazed at how good they are... and they keep getting better!

Now... read the verse and go get the recipe!

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it and it is gone... but the mercy of the Lord is form everlasting to everlasting... Psalm 103:15 - 17

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay!! Penzey's!!! And personal stuff!!!!

- Laura

cHim-prints said...

Everything's better with Penzey's!