The Portion of my Inheritance

My daughter and I love to watch the homesteading videos by Keeper of the Homestead. You can check them out here:

http://www.keeperofthehomestead.com/blog

They are instructional videos filled with all kinds of information. There is anything from shearing sheep, processing wool, spinning it, and knitting. They teach how to put up fences to how to put up canned foods. They even teach how to process chicken, from plucking it to cutting it up. If you can imagine it, they teach it in these videos. We have watched them over and over and love them.

They have several canning recipes so I decided to try out their canned pickles.

I started with cleaning the cucumbers, washing and rinsing them thoroughly.

While I was cleaning the cucumbers I sterilized my canning jars and lids.I gathered the ingredients that I would need for the pickles.

For the brine I used:

2 qt. distilled water

1 qt apple cider vinegar

1 cup canning salts

1 cup sugar

1 teas. cream of tater

Bring to a boil and let simmer until you are ready to pour into jars.

For best results please check out their full recipe from the video.

I cut up the cucumbers and stuffed them into the hot sterilized jars.

On the top of the cucumbers I added 1/2 head of garlic, a bunch of dill and 1/4 teas. alum. Then I poured the hot brine into the jars, leaving about 1/2 inch at the neck of the jar. Make sure you wipe the rim of the jar with a clean cloth.

Place the sterilized lids on top of the jar and tighten them down. I use the water bath method to seal the jars. I put them in the hot water for about 25 minutes.

I am letting them set up for a week before I try them. It has been many years since I have canned pickles. It is something I used to do with my mother growing up.

You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; They rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.  Is. 9:3