‘More Peppers Please’

Pickle Problems

I finally did it…

I bought a canning set up.

After years of wanting to, piecing together items to make a batch of salsa work, I went to Canadian Tire this morning and bought the full deal of everything I will need to get canning all on my own.

Ya, I’m kinda proud.

There are a few pull factors with wanting to refine this skill. The enjoyment of delicious and local fruit in the middle of winter, the nostalgia canned goods offers, creating and working with my hands, gift-giving made easy and saving money…on certain items.

Push factors are obvious…less junky ingredients, the ability to not have to consumed coloured and high-sugar products, being able to cut down on waste, and minimizing the use of plastic and aluminum.

We’ve done canned salsa, fresh salsa and peaches but we’re ready to expand our skills.

The biggest reason I want to get better and can more often in life is to make a good pickle.

We go through a lot of pickles in our house.

It’s a top favourite to include in everything from salads, to tuna sandwiches, charcuterie, plain ol’ crackers and cheese, cheese, pickle and mayo sandwiches (anyone else eat this in the 80's?) to fried pickle appetizers.

Pickles really go with almost everything …IMO.

The thing is, both Jeff and I are hug fans of spicy food and we have yet to find an actually spicy really good jar of pickles. Even the expensive ones from wineries and such don’t deliver on what we hope to consume.

And so, the driver to acquire household canning supplies for ourselves.

• Observations: Not enough pickle options that meet our spicy standards.
• Questions: There has to be others who share our concerns, right?
• Hypothesis: If we get our own canning stuff, it’s possible that the outcome will be as desired and if we add enough peppers, we’ll make a deadly (in a good way) batch of pickles.
• Methods: Put lots of jalepenos and other peppers in the jars and that crisper additive to make sure they turn out crunchy.
• Results: To be determined in a week or so.

If anyone is hanging on to an award-winning (even in your own mind) spicy pickle recipe…I’ll gladly accept.

Thanks!

-Becky