I harvested a big bunch of dill for making pickles. I'm going to try this recipe: Blue Ribbon Dill Pickles. Or I might try this one: Bobby Flay Dill Pickles. Then again, maybe I'll do both as the first is for making lots of pickles to can, and the second is for a few fresh pickles. Yum, they sound good!
I haven't made pickles in very many years. I could use any advice. I have so many cucumbers this year, I'm sure I'll need to put up more.
This is the second half of my garlic harvest. Gardeners seem surprised I harvested it so early, but it was ready. (The bottom three pairs of leaves are brown or yellow and there are about 3 pairs of green ones left.) It was ready at the same time last year too. Maybe its my variety. (Also, I think it better to err on the early side than to risk rot or bugs getting into the cloves.) The variety I have is mostly 'Music' this year. Probably some 'Duganski' and other types too. I always save 10 nice cloves (biggest or most colorful) for planting next year's crop in the fall.
7 comments:
On the topic of pickles, I could use your advice (or that of any of your readers). I planted a lot of cucumbers because I had an old packet of seed that I planted heavily, assuming that germination would be low. Turns out that the germination was great, and so I'm going to have a TON of cucumbers, much more than we can possibly eat fresh. My cucumbers are a slicing variety, and I'm wondering how well they would work as pickles? If they won't work as pickles, do you have any other suggestions for what to do with the extras?
Joe,
We pickle slicing cucumbers and love them. My kids actually like the slicing better than pickling.
i made "fridge pickles" from a bumper crop of large slicing cukes last year, and had the same concerns. Turned out fine!!
How is your dill so big? Mine is always short and not very full. Not sure what I'm doing wrong! I've tried a few different varieties.
Kathy,
What type of cucumbers do you grow? I grow nothing but heirlooms but am having a horrible time getting them to consistently be non-bitter. Your cucumbers always looks so wonderful. Would be willing to go to the other side for some more good cukes!
I think the answer to the dill is the variety. I like to grow Mammoth Dill. Its a great variety. Sometimes I grow the shorter Durkat Dill too. Let some plants go to seed in the garden and you'll have more than you need next year. -Kathy
My favorite cucumber variety is Diva. Smooth skinned and smooth flavored. Small seeds. I grow lots of these plants.
I also grow pickling cukes Boston Pickling and Sumter Pickling (classic pickling cukes), as well as the heirloom North Carolina Pickling Cucumber (a blocky white variety).
And I like the long spiny Asian cucumbers Sooyow Nishiki and Tokiwa.
Just to round it out, I grow some classic cukes Straight 8 and Sweet Success.
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