Roxie Even though I was raised in a small, rural area in the south, I never learned the art of keeping up a garden or canning and "putting up" vegetables. My family traveled a lot in the summers and I didn't have a grandma to teach me those important southern traditions.
When I moved back after college I turned to my friend Mrs. Carolyn for a little help! I have known Mrs. Carolyn my entire life. She was the secretary at the elementary school where my parents taught and our families have been long time friends. When my dad was opening our shop and cafe 13 years ago, he called on Mrs. Carolyn to help in The Cafe. She has been with us ever since! She lovingly tends to our Cafe guests every Tuesday and it is her pimiento cheese recipe that has become famous in our little town.
Carolyn and her husband always kept a summer garden. Several years ago she let me come out and pick peas with her. We took our peas to the local canning plant to have them shelled and then she helped me blanch and bag them up to freeze them. One summer she helped me with okra and this summer I got a lesson in canning her delicious sweet pickles!
We have decided to share her secrets with you, with her permission of course. :) The pickle process takes a few days to complete, so be sure to have a little time on your hands! Here is your peek into Mrs. Carolyn's pickle making methods.
When I moved back after college I turned to my friend Mrs. Carolyn for a little help! I have known Mrs. Carolyn my entire life. She was the secretary at the elementary school where my parents taught and our families have been long time friends. When my dad was opening our shop and cafe 13 years ago, he called on Mrs. Carolyn to help in The Cafe. She has been with us ever since! She lovingly tends to our Cafe guests every Tuesday and it is her pimiento cheese recipe that has become famous in our little town.
Carolyn and her husband always kept a summer garden. Several years ago she let me come out and pick peas with her. We took our peas to the local canning plant to have them shelled and then she helped me blanch and bag them up to freeze them. One summer she helped me with okra and this summer I got a lesson in canning her delicious sweet pickles!
We have decided to share her secrets with you, with her permission of course. :) The pickle process takes a few days to complete, so be sure to have a little time on your hands! Here is your peek into Mrs. Carolyn's pickle making methods.
What you will need:
- Seven pounds of cucumbers (the smaller the better)
- Pickling Lime
- Pickling Spices
- One gallon of distilled white vinegar
- 8 pounds of white granulated sugar
- 14 pint or 7 quart sized jars with lids and rings
- Piece of an old t-shirt or pantie hose
- Large bowl or basin (should not be aluminum)
- Large pot (should not be aluminum)
Give them a good wash and set aside.
Once all of your cucumbers have been cleaned, begin cutting! You will want to cut off the ends of the cucumbers and discard them.
Try to cut your cucumbers as uniform as possible to keep your pickles looking and tasting consistent!
Cutting is the step where you may want to recruit a little help.
Mrs. Carolyn follows along with the directions on the Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime package for the basic measurements. (She adds a little extra here and there to get them just right.) When you begin the "liming down" process, make sure that the bowl or basin you are using is not made of aluminum because of the reaction that could take place with the lime.
Sprinkle one cup of Pickling Lime over your freshly cut cucumbers.
Now begin filling your basin with water to ensure that your cucumbers are covered.
Make sure to give them a good stir so that the lime distributes evenly throughout the water. After "liming your pickles down", let them sit overnight, stirring occasionally (otherwise the lime will settle to the bottom).
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The next day, you will want to begin the rinsing process. To ensure that you wash all of the lime off of your cucumbers, you will need to rinse them multiple times.
Using a colander, rinse your cucumbers off and rinse out your basin. Place the cucumbers back in the basin and cover them with water again. Let the cucumbers soak in the clean water for one hour. Repeat this step two more times!
After you have soaked the cucumbers in clean water three times (at one hour each time), drain them again with your colander. Rinse your basin and place the cucumbers back in, covering them with ice water this time. Mrs. Carolyn let her cucumbers soak in ice water for three hours before moving on to the next step.
Using a colander, rinse your cucumbers off and rinse out your basin. Place the cucumbers back in the basin and cover them with water again. Let the cucumbers soak in the clean water for one hour. Repeat this step two more times!
After you have soaked the cucumbers in clean water three times (at one hour each time), drain them again with your colander. Rinse your basin and place the cucumbers back in, covering them with ice water this time. Mrs. Carolyn let her cucumbers soak in ice water for three hours before moving on to the next step.
Now it is time to get your pickling spices ready. You can use a piece of an old (clean) t-shirt, as Mrs. Carolyn has done, or even pantie hose! Tie up your spices so that they are not loose in your pickles. We used two tablespoons of spices, tying up one tablespoon per bundle.
Now it is time to bring your vinegar, sugar and spices to a boil. (Not in aluminum!) It is important that your cucumbers go straight from the ice bath into the boiling mixture. This gives them that special crunch!
You can follow along with the recipe on the Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime package, or do what we did! Mrs. Carolyn's pickles are perfectly crispy, sweet and tart--so her version is a little different. We ended up using one whole gallon of white distilled vinegar. *This is where experience comes in. She knows what to add by simply looking at it!
You can follow along with the recipe on the Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime package, or do what we did! Mrs. Carolyn's pickles are perfectly crispy, sweet and tart--so her version is a little different. We ended up using one whole gallon of white distilled vinegar. *This is where experience comes in. She knows what to add by simply looking at it!
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We also used eight pounds of sugar.
We even had a special guest show up to help! Abi is one of Mrs. Carolyn's biggest fans.
Keep stirring as your vinegar begins to boil. You will want to stir as the sugar dissolves.
Once the sugar is dissolved and the vinegar is boiling, carefully add in your cold and drained pickles!
Mrs. Carolyn added more vinegar than is stated on the Pickling Lime Package to ensure that her pickles would be covered.
Give them a stir and wait for the vinegar to come back to a boil.
Once it comes to a rolling boil, turn the stove off and let your pickles sit over night.
The next morning, bring your pickles to a boil one more time. Let them boil for 30-45 minutes stirring occasionally.
As your pickles cook, they will darken--this is the color you are looking for!
While your pickles are boiling, get your clean jars, lids and rings ready. You will need to boil a little water in a separate pot to drop your lids down in. The rim around the lid will need to be heated in order to seal on the jar correctly.
Begin filling your jars once your pickles have boiled for 30-45 minutes.
Begin filling your jars once your pickles have boiled for 30-45 minutes.
Make sure that your pickles are submerged in the liquid by pressing them down with a spoon. You want to ensure that you have enough liquid in your jars to prevent any from going bad.
Be sure to wipe the rim of the jar clean before placing your warmed lid on top. You will want to get rid of any sticky liquid that may have gotten on the outside of the jar.
Screw your ring on as tight as you can and set the jar aside.
Mrs. Carolyn likes to leave her pickle filled jars sitting on the counter while she waits to hear the jars seal with a "pop"! (Although Mrs. Carolyn does not process her pickles, it is recommended that you process your jars of pickles in a water bath for at least ten minutes to prevent any presence of bacteria.)
The best part about pickle making (besides the outcome) is all of the "waiting" time. That gives us plenty of time to chat!
Once the lids on your jars have "popped", you are ready to enjoy your pickles for months to come.
We hope that you have enjoyed this glimpse into a classic Southern kitchen. We'd love for you to give pickle-making a try yourself, and let us know how it goes!
We have a few things over in the store that you might find helpful if you do decide to make a batch of pickles of your own! Purchase a Canning Kit to dress up your jars or an enamel basin to make the liming and soaking process a little bit easier!
We have a few things over in the store that you might find helpful if you do decide to make a batch of pickles of your own! Purchase a Canning Kit to dress up your jars or an enamel basin to make the liming and soaking process a little bit easier!
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