Happy Homemaker

It paid off... Three jars of refrigerator pickles, three jars of 'regular' pickles, three jars of hot banana peppers, and three jars of... peaches!

A neighbor brought over a bag of peaches that were nice and ripe. Since I had enough jars, and the water bath was already boiling... Three pints of peaches for this winter.

The banana peppers. I didn't know about them - they didn't smell spicy, so I licked a slice. Glad I didn't bite into it. I added a bit of garlic and a tiny bit of dill. Tiny. Three pints. Oh, and I did throw away the piece I licked.

I did half refrigerator and half 'regular' pickles. The refrigerator are nice - should be ready to eat in about a week and they didn't require a boiling water bath. The others will be nice too, though they'll take a couple of weeks to be ready, but will last a lot longer.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles
For three pints
Brine - bring to a boil:
3 cups water
1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup canning salt

After thoroughly washing, pack pickling cucumbers, fresh dill, a few onion slices, and garlic (whole cloves or sliced) in jars. Pour brine over the top, and let set on counter for 3 or 4 hours. Refrigerate, ready to eat in a week.

Processed Pickles or Banana Pepper Rings
Brine:
1 1/2 qts water
1/2 qt. vinegar
1/2 c. pickling salt
Bring to a boil.

Pack pickles, onion slices, garlic, and dill or banana pepper rings, garlic, and onion in jars. Pour brine over. Adjust seal and rings, put in boiling water bath. When water reaches a boil, set timer for 10 minutes. Cool away from drafts until jars seal.

Canned Peaches
Peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/4 c lemon juice
Syrup (I use a 1:3 ratio of sugar to water)
Toss peaches with lemon juice, pack in jars. Pour syrup over. Process in water bath for at least 20 minutes, but not more than 30.

As for the zucchini - some of it is in the oven right now turning into Zucchini Bread. The rest will be grated and frozen. The corn? That's for dinner tonight.