Silly pickle question

[ShowMe31]

When making pickles do you taste each cuke before cutting up. With the heat and lack of rain I've found a bitter one or two in my group. After this morning I don't care it I never eat another cuke I felt the need to taste each one just in case. .

On a good note I ended up with 3 pints spears, 5 pints slices and 3 quarts slices. Hopefully they taste as good as they look.

 

[journey11]

I've never bothered to taste them, but I do look out for those that look pithy or hollowed out in the center. Those I know are not good for canning. I don't think I'd notice any bitterness after they're already pickled. Just about everything tastes good pickled!

 

[lesa]

Just made pickles last night- I tasted a couple bites, just because I could! As Journey said- by the time you add all the sugar, vinegar, and spices, I doubt if a bitter cucumber would show up! Need to check my cukes again today, I swear they grow inches over night!!

 

[ShowMe31]

You aren't kidding about them growing inches over night. I have 15 plants just starting to produce and I bet I get about a dozen a day. I can only imagine how many I'll be getting when the second planting of 15 kicks in.

I'm going to stop tasting them and just start pickling. I'm very quirky about food so I just couldn't imagine working them up with tasting each one.

This whole canning thing is new to me, I just started last year with salsa and pasta sauce and decided to add more this year. So far I am really enjoying watching the shelves in the basement fill up. Feel like I'm really doing something great.

 

[lesa]

Showme, I always start to fell like a squirrel getting ready for winter!! There is nothing better than having fresh from the garden goodies, waiting on a shelf or in the freezer. Just a good feeling!!

 

[ShowMe31]

LOL! The next time my niece calls me a food hoarder I'm going to tell her I'm a squirrel. I love that comparison. You're right that's the best feeling in the world. Something about providing for the family makes me walk on cloud 9.

 

[kcsunshine]

My cukes have just started producing (yeah, we got a late start - long story), but my squash is coming on like gangbusters. So all that I don't sell at the 2 farmers' markets, come back home and are becoming squash pickles (which I can sell at one the the markets). They are turning out wonderfully, but I have no luck at all with cucumber pickles - guess I'll have to give it another go this year.

 

[hoodat]

We used to keeep our canned goods in the cellar and I remember many times seeing both my mother and grandmother take a lamp down and just sit and look at them. It's a comfort knowing there is food there.

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

Local stores are all out of dill seed ... all I have is dried dill weed. Hope it works!

 

[ShowMe31]

The pickles were a hit. We ate 6 pints at the July 4 family get together. Good thing the cucumbers seem to be in overdrive, I need to restock my stash.

I cheated this round and used the Mrs. Wages seasoning. This is the first year I've attempted pickles and was looking to an easy way to do it. I'm planning on doing the next lot this weekend the "old fashioned" way. Hopefully I don't have any problems getting what I need.