My glamorous friends invited me over one Saturday afternoon to watch them pickle and can vegetables. How fun it was to go from a ladies night dinner and birthday celebration at an elegant restaurant  on one night to a simple Saturday afternoon (the next day) of canning.  Cutting, pickling and canning vegetables and walking through the host’s impressive garden was an earthy activity and I admire my two friends’ ability to share diverse interests.  One of my friends brought her darling teenage daughter along for the fun experience. We all share in common that we have gardens but this canning experience was fairly new to us. I’ve made homemade salsa before but I haven’t canned or pickled so I’m excited to have a recipe to share, too.

Where did you get the idea to do this?

My husband has done this before.  His relatives in Arkansas were farmers and he spent summers there.

Does canning mean it becomes a salsa?

No, it is more like pickles. It has vinegar, water and spices….it’s pickling more than it is true canning.  I’m using peppers from my garden in this canning recipe. My bell peppers have grown in pots rather than in the ground. (She showed me her garden of various veggies and herbs).

My herbs are doing great this summer but my tomatoes are probably going to bloom this fall.

I have sage, thyme and a load of mint. My banana peppers have gone crazy and grown well. I’ve  had  cucumbers, tomatoes, etc…

What is the pickling process?

Vinegar and pickling spices (in this packet) are the ingredients. I have spicy and plain seasoning. The bottles came in a box with lids. (cans are actually bottles in this case).

(She drained the vegetables, warmed up the pickling recipe and warmed up the jars so it’s not a “shock” to the glass when you put the in the ingredients .)

Recipe:

1  1/3 cups of white distilled vinegar,

7 1/3 cups water,

1 pouch of Mrs. Wages Kosher Dill Pickle Mix ( from True Value)

How fun it was to go from one night of a formal atmosphere to the next afternoon of casual gardening and canning with my well rounded friends!

….Variety is the spice of life!