Zucchini season is here and if you’re like me, you’ll have an over abundance of this wonderful squash. Why is it that if nothing else grows, you can always count on zucchini to grow crazy wild? And don’t get me started on that “one” that always stays hidden until the very end; and by the time you finally spot it – it’s the size of a baseball bat! Gotta love it.
So here we go. Continuing with my pickling mode, today’s agenda was sweet and spicy zucchini pickles. And with this being my first time making these, I gotta say they turned out delicious. I am very pleased with the outcome and will definitely be making these again. Here’s the recipe I followed – compliments of “My Pantry Shelf”. Enjoy 🙂
SWEET AND SPICY ZUCCHINI PICKLES
makes 8 cups (4 pints)
2 pounds zucchini
1 medium onion (8 ounce)
2 heaping tablespoons coarse salt
2 cups ice cubes
1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon whole mustard seed
3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Sterilize the jars for your pickles by submerging them in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Slice zucchini 1/8 inch thick. Halve the onions and slice thinly as well. Place zucchini in a large bowl. Toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt and 1 1/2 cups of ice. In a separate bowl, toss onion with the remaining salt and then again with the remaining ice. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Separately drain zucchini and onion. Rinse and drain again.
Bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil. Add the onion and return to a boil. Add the zucchini and remove from heat.
Ladle zucchini and onions into hot, sterile jars. Bring liquid to a boil again and fill the jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Top with a new lid and band. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for half-pint jars and 15 minutes for pints.
Mama Bears Garden 