Oct. 2, 2009 - Bread and Butter Pickles
I don't know what it is about fall, but there's something about the cooling weather and changing of leaves that brings out the best of homemaking and house-wifery! I actually think it's heightened dramatically in me since coming to Japan and enduring a few winters here with no central heat! Things like airing out the down comforters, canning a few things that are in abundance (and cheap...er) now but will be unavailable through the winter, and making some warm outfits for Bri (that now mostly include some warm pantiloons to go under her skirts) have become a yearly tradition. So, we've now officially begun the winter wind-down. The evenings are already cool enough to pull out a quilt, and the windows that have been permanently open for eight months or so are beginning to be closed more and more frequently. I don't look forward to seeing my breath in my bedroom and taking a shower in a below freezing bathroom, but we can do a few things to prepare! I am just about to finish her first outfit made of heavy denim and flannel (I'll post pics once it's done!), have material to start a quilt, and we made our first few jars of pickles a week ago today. Here are some shots of our process. We had never actually made pickles before, but I was just longing for this good old taste of home and childhood! I didn't necessarily even like bread and butter pickles growing up. Funny how that works!
Japanese cukes are so good! They're long and skinny, the seeds are generally very small, and they've got a great taste!
My cheerful assistant and companion! Don't know what I'd do without her!
Now, on to the pickling!
And voila! Pickles!
We ate the blue lid jar right away as it wasn't a sealable, gave one jar away, ate another jar over the next few days, and opened the last jar a day or two ago! Ha! So, looks like I need to go down to the market and get some more if I intend for them to last us the winter! Cucumbers are very cheap and plentiful right now, so it's a good time for pickling. I haven't figured out how to get some of the typical seasonings or "pickling salt" here yet, so I think they're a bit "cloudy", but the taste is great anyway! Steve said, "You know how you're supposed to let the pickles stand for a week before you eat them? Well, I don't think ours are even going to last a week!" So, I guess I should make pickles more often! I expect the newness will wear off and the next batch will last a whole lot longer!
Now, I'm off to finish a dress!...
Comments
Oct. 2, 2009 - Fun!
Posted by agardenfull
The cukes look fantastic!! Thank you for stopping by my blog ~ Im am finallly getting back into the habit of blogging ~ Hope to see you again soon!
~Shirley
