Home Pickling: Dill Pickles, Asparagus, Heirloom Carrots

You can start off your home pickling by sterilizing your jars, this is an important step, particularly if you’re planning on pickling big batches and having them around for awhile. It’s only a matter of a solid cleaning and heating to ensure we minimize foreign bodies that may spoil your home pickling bounty.

– start by cleaning your jars thoroughly with soap, hot water and fresh, clean towels.
– ‘bake’ in a preheated 400 degree oven for ten minutes.
– boil the lids for 2 – 5minutes.

For the Dill pickles

8 cups water
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup organic sugar
10 tbsp salt
1 tbsp juniper berries
2 tbsp star anise
2 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tbsp allspice
10 garlic cloves, peeled
8 dill sprigs, flowering dill as well, if you can find some
4 lbs small organic cucumber, blossom end removed

– bring to boil water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Ensure that sugar and salt is completely dissolved before removing from heat and adding all of the dry ingredients and garlic. Allow to steep for 40 minutes
– add dill and cucumbers to the sterilized jars, add the liquid and ensuring that it completely covers the dill and cukes.
– Cover and allow to sit for a minimum of 1 week, for best results, wait at least 3 weeks.

for the pickled heirloom carrot

1 cup water
1.5 cups apple cider or champagne vinegar
1 cup organic sugar
1 tsp madras curry
2 cups heirloom carrots
1pc bay leaf
1pc chili pepper
1pc garlic

– bring to boil water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Ensure that sugar and salt is completely dissolved before removing from heat and adding all of the dry ingredients and garlic. Allow to steep for 40 minutes
– add carrots to the sterilized jars, add the liquid to the top as carrots will float.
– Cover and allow to sit for a minimum of 1 week, for best results, wait at least 3 weeks.

for the pickled asparagus

1 cup water
1.5 cups apple cider or champagne vinegar
1 cup organic sugar
2 cups asparagus
3 springs dill
1pc bay leaf
1pc chili pepper
1pc garlic

– bring to boil water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Ensure that sugar and salt is completely dissolved before removing from heat and adding all of the dry ingredients and garlic. Allow to steep for 40 minutes.
– add carrots to the sterilized jars, add the liquid and ensuring that it completely covers the dill and cukes.
– Cover and allow to sit for a minimum of 1 week, for best results, wait at least 3 weeks.

Enjoy the ‘fruits’ of your home pickling project year round!