Hungarian Wax Pickles

Really enjoyed the pickled banana peppers from last year, so I'm growing Hungarian Wax peppers this year for the same purpose. Should be a bit spicier. So here's my first shot at a recipe. Just refrigerator pickles until I find a recipe I like.

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup white vinegar (no culinary reason, just didn't have enough apple cider vinegar)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 Tbs salt
• 1/2 Tbs sugar
• Small slices onion
• few cloves garlic

Lots going on in the garden, will update soon.

Big Pickles

The zucchini is infested with squash vine borers apparently. Gross little beasts. I pulled two good sized plants out. Another one looks like it might have them as well. I think we're close to out of the woods as far as when infestations occur, maybe we'll be ok with the rest of them.

Nice haul of good cukes today. Decided to take another whack at refrigerator pickles (since we're almost out of the initial four quarts). This time used a gallon jug. Here's the video. Here's a still photo and the recipe.

• 12 medium-sized cucumbers
• 1 Hungarian Wax pepper
• 1 Jalapeno pepper
• 5 cloves garlic (our garlic!)
• 1 Tbsp Dill Weed (our dill hasn't come in yet)
• 6 c water
• 2 c apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 c Kosher salt
• 1/2 c sugar

Lets see how this one works out.

The Hubbard squash [ed note - I believe it's butternut, not Hubbard] is flowering. If we get average yield, we'll have 175 of them. I'm thinking it won't be that many. But even if we get 25, we'll probably wish we planted some other kinds...

Duncan's pumpkin is thriving. I don't see any baby pumpkins on it at the moment, and the one that was there shriveled (in the heat??). We'll see how it works out.

EDIT 07/26/2011 - Oops, I said 12 medium zucchini! As you can see, it's cucumbers. Corrected above.

Another fine pickle

Tried refrigerator pickles again (first batch is almost gone). This time used a bit more vinegar, only one clove of garlic (but crushed it) and added a Hngarian Wax pepper (sliced lengthwise).

Recipe:

• 1 c water
• 3 c apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c Kosher salt
• 1/4 c sugar

Set that to boil. Stir occasionally. In the mean time take 5 pickling cukes and spearize them (cut in quarters longitudinally). In each of two quart mason jars put 1 clove garlic (crushed in a press), 1 tsp dried dill, and half the spears. I only used 4 cukes, and I really needed 5. Also added half a Hungarian Wax pepper (cut in half lengthwise) in each. By now the liquid should be boiling. Take it off the heat and let it cool for a bit. Then dump it into the jars. Should have some left over. That you can dump. Make sure you cover the pickles.

Let the pickles cool on the countertop for a while, then pop them in the fridge. Wait 2 days preferrably before eating. I will report on taste later.