Back with Pickles

Well, it's been a few weeks since I last posted, but I made something new this weekend that I have never made before. I made sweet pickles. It's a family favorite that we love to make every so often. We enjoy it in our tuna, chicken, and potato salad. The pickles are sweet with a bite to them. Think about when you eat a SweetTarts candy or something like that and you have the sensation of eating one of these pickles. We have made them in small, bite-sized pieces and in long strips like I did this time. Hope you enjoy making them as much as I did.  :-)


Lime Sweet Pickles

7-8 lbs. Cucumbers (the big, yellow ones work best)
2 C. Pickling Lime
2 Galllons Water
3 T Salt
2 Qts. White Vinegar
10 C. Sugar
1-3 T Pickling Spice

Peel, seed, and slice cucumbers into the right length. Stir together water and pickling lime in a large bowl. Soak cucumbers for 24 hours. Rinse well. Cover with fresh water and soak for 3 hours. Mix vinegar, salt, and sugar in a large container. Measure pickling spice out onto a square of cheese-cloth. If desired, pick out any red pepper flakes. Tie cheese-cloth around spice. Place in vinegar solution. Soak cucumbers in vinegar solution overnight. Pour cucumbers and vinegar solution into a pot large enough to hold it, plus a little. Boil pickles in vinegar for 35 minutes. Pour in jars and seal.

Hope you enjoy them. :-)

God bless.

Catherine

Back Again

Well, I finally made something that I can blog about. This time, it was some breads that have blueberry in them. The first one is a blueberry and oatmeal bread. It is very easy to make. I have not tried it yet but it looks yummy. The second recipe that I made was blueberry muffins with a streusel crust. It is delicious. The texture is wonderful and the streusel topping gives it that extra sweetness. I posted these two recipes below.




Here are the two recipes. I found them in a Southern Living cookbook.


Blueberry-Oatmeal Bread


2 C plain flour
1 C quick cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 C sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C plus 2 T butter, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 C milk
1/4 C light corn syrup
1 C fresh blueberries


Combine first 7 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Combine eggs, milk, and syrup in a seperate container; mix well. Add to the dry ingredients, stirring until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9- X 5- X 3-inch loaf pan (I just used a 9X13 cake pan); bake at 350 degrees for one hour and 10 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean (I baked it for 30 minutes). Cool in loaf pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.






Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping


2 C Self-Rising flour
1/3 C sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 C milk
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries


Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Measure out 2 tablespoons and set aside. Combine egg, milk, and oil in a seperate container; stir well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened. Combine blueberries and the 2 tablespoons of flour and toss to coat. Stir into batter. Spoon batter into a greased muffin pan(s) (depending on the size that you make them), filling 3/4 full.


Streusel Topping


1/4 C firmly packed brown sugar
2 T flour
1 T butter, softened


Combine brown sugar, flour, and butter and mix until crumbly. Spoon over batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes, or until browned.


Hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.


God bless.


Catherine