Pickle Recipes - Sweet Lemons

3 small lemons (cleaned)
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 1/2 tablesppons pickling salt
6 tablesppons lemon juice
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 small dried chile peppers (optional)

Cut the lemons lengthwise into eights, leaving 1/4 inch intact at the stem end. Grind the spices in a coffee grinder or blender. Mix the spices with the salt and stuff the lemons with this mixture.

Put the lemons into a jar. Cover them with the lemon juice and cap the jar with a non-reactive lid. Let the jar stand for 1 week in a sunny window.

Pour the juices from the jar into a non-reactive pan. Add the sugar to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the lemons and boil gently for 10 minutes or until they are tender. Pack the lemons into a sterile pint jar and cover with a non-reactive lid.

Let the jar stand at room temperature for a month. Refrigerate and serve.

Pickle Recipes - Pickle Beets

7 pounds of beets w/o tops
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pickling salt
4 cups cider vinegar
2 cups water

To peel the beets put them into boiling water and boil them for 20 to 30 minutes until they are just tender. Then drain the beets and cover them with cold water. The skins will slip off easily.

If the beets are large you can cut them into rounds. Or you can pickle them whole.

Tie the spices in a spice bag. Cobmine all the other ingredients into a non-reactive pot, add the spice bag and bring it to a boil. Simmer it for 10 minutes.

Pack the beets into jars. Pour the hot liquid over the beets, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Close the jars with hot two-piece caps. Boiling-water bath the jars for 30 minutes. They will be ready to eat in 3 weeks.

Pickle Recipes - Bread and Butters

There are dozens of bread and butter pickle recipes out there. I hope you like this one.

6 Pounds cucumbers, cleaned and sliced crosswise
2 pounds small onions, slicked into rounds
Ice
1/2 cup pickling salt
4 1/2 cups vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon celery seeds
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

Toss the cucumbers and onions with the salt.
Cover them with ice from 2 ice trays and let stand for 4 hours.
Drain the vegetables.
Put everything else into a pot and bring to a boil.
Add the vegetables and slowly bring it back toa boil.
Pack the vegetables into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Add brine, again leaving headspace.
Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Store in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks and then enjoy!

Pickle Recipes - Lunch Spears

1 1/4 Pounds 3" cucumbers cut into spears
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 quart plus 3/4 cups water
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 small onion, peeled
1 dill head
2 grape leaves
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pickling spice

Put the spears into a bowl or crock. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 1 quart of water and pour it over the cucumbers. Weight the crock with a heavy plate. Let stand for 8 to 12 hours.
Drain and rinse the cucumbers and drain them again.
Pack the cucumbers, garlic, onion and dill head into a 1 quart jar. Add the grape leaves.
In a non-reactive pan boil the 3/4 cup of water, 2 teaspoons salt, vinegar, sugar and spices. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers. Cap the jar tightly.
Store the jar in the refrigerator for 1 week before eating.