FIRST CANNING OF THE YEAR

This year we have had alot of first!! We bought our first place together. We started our first garden. And this past week I was able to make pickles from our cucumbers. Last year I had the privilege of learning some canning skills from Jaimie @mericanhomestead. She's a pro and taught me alot!

@jeejee and @beardo have been staying with us this last month and we decided to have a canning day. Our cucumbers and zucchini have really taken off and we had plenty to can.

We started out by washing everything. You want to make sure your jars are clean before using them. We also cleaned all the cucumbers and zucchini.

We got the water started for the water bath canner. The water should be boiling when you place your jars inside. We have the lids in the back left getting hot for placing on the jars once they are filled. On the front left we have the brine boiling. The brine is made up of water, vinegar and pickling salt.

While those were heating up we filled the jars with some spices. Garlic, whole black peppercorn and dill seeds.

We cut the cucumbers into spears and hamburger slices. They fit nicely in the quart size jars.

We left some of the little ones whole. They will be nice for snacks later.

After will fill them nice and tight, we fill them with the brine. The cucumbers should be completely covered, leaving about 1/4 inch from the top of the jar.

Once they are filled with the brine you want to use a knife or butter knife to loosen the inside getting out the extra air.

In this recipe I also placed a grape leaf on top. I was told the grape leaf will keep them crunchy. @dwells loves crunchy pickles.

Wipe off the top of the jars to place the hot lids on. If the jar is wet or dirty, it won't seal properly.

Close the lids and place in the water bath canner.

Once the water is boiling set the timer for 10 minutes.

Pull them out and place in a cool area where they get plenty of air flow.

My favorite part is when they start popping and you know you did it right! ❤️❤️❤️

Here's the link to the recipe we used. https://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2014/06/27/the-perfect-dill-pickle-recipe-and-the-secret-to-crisp-pickles/

I really liked this recipe. It was pretty easy to follow. This was the first time I have tried it. Here's to hoping they are crunchy!!

If you have any tips to canning, feel free to leave them! I'm a newbie in the garden and with canning.

If you haven't already, follow @jeejee and @beardo! They were great helpers!!

Until next time....