Pickle Canning

A very important job on the farm is canning any leftover vegetables and fruits to use during the fall and winter months. One such vegetable that can be made into many flavorful foods is the cucumber. Cucumbers are most commonly made into pickles which can be made into a variety of flavors and preserved for a long time. Danielle and Carlin spent the bulk of last week making and canning pickles. The process begins by slicing a cucumber and lining it in a dish with salt. Then you put another layer of cucumbers and another layer of salt, and so on. The salt draws out the water from the cucumber which creates a brine solution. After the cucumbers sit in this they are soaked in a vinegar and spice mixture overnight. Next the jars are sterilized in boiling water, the pickles are poured into the glass jars, the lid is placed on top, and then you place the jar in boiling water again to seal the lid. When finished, place it in your cupboard and you'll have pickles to enjoy throughout the year!