I’m sorry I don’t remember the provenance of this last recipe, but it’s a fairly traditional way to make pickled squash. I can eat it by the pint. The directions are for processing the pickles in a boiling water bath. If you want to skip that step, just pack the pickles into jars after they’ve been heated in the vinegar, and seal them up. Let them cool and then keep the pickles in your refrigerator. They should keep about 2 months without processing but they have to be refrigerated. The recipe also says to wait a month before eating, but I don’t generally have that much patience. They’re really fine right away.
Makes 4 pints
Ingredients:
8 cups sliced yellow squash 2 cups sliced white onions 2 medium size green peppers, sliced 1/3 cup non-iodized salt (plain salt, either canning or table salt) Ice 2 1/2 cups sugar 2 cups white vinegar 2 teaspoons celery seed 2 teaspoons mustard seed 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Preparation:
Layer squash, onion and green pepper in a large container. Sprinkle layers with salt. Cover with ice and refrigerate 1 hour. Drain off liquid.
Combine sugar, white vinegar, celery seed, mustard seed and dry mustard in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add vegetables and return to a rolling boil. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pack vegetables tightly into hot canning jars, leaving ½-inch head space. Fill jars to 1/2 –inch from top with hot liquid. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids.
Process in a boiling water bath: pints 15 minutes and half pints 10 minutes. Wait 4 weeks before opening to allow pickles to develop best flavor. Refrigerate before serving.
See you over next week’s box,