I’m not really a fan of pickles. Whenever I receive one alongside a restaurant sandwich, I pass it on to my dining companions. There is something about the salty vinegar flavor that makes them completely unappetizing to me.
But as Heather pointed out, maybe I’ve just been eating the wrong pickles. I decided to depart from tradition by making pickles using squash instead of cucumbers and white wine vinegar + wine instead of white vinegar. As it turns out, I have been eating the wrong pickles, because I sampled these and liked them!
Summer Squash Pickles
Slightly adapted from “The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving”
Makes 5 to 6 half-pints
1 ¾ lb summer squash
1 1/3 c sliced onion
2 ½ c water
1 2/3 c sugar
1 ¼ c white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
Prepare for canning. Wash the jars and flat lids with hot, soapy water. Put the jars in the canning pot and fill the pot with hot water. Heat over medium-high heat to keep the jars hot. Place the lids in a heat-proof bowl.
Peel the squash and chop in ½” cubes. Slice the onion. Mix the squash and onion in a large bowl and set aside.
In a large saucepan, bring the water, sugar, vinegar, salt and spices to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add the squash and onions, then bring back up to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, until the squash is heated through and tender.
Pack squash and liquid into hot jars, up to ½” below the rim. Use a chopstick to remove the air bubbles. Use a clean towel to wipe off the rims, and top each jar with a lid and a tightened ring. Place the jars back in the canning pot and make sure they are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Place the jars on a folded towel and let cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Check the seals of the lids after 1 hour. If a seal has not formed, refrigerate the jar immediately.
You don’t like pickles!? I would gladly take the pickles off your plate.
I would love to try these… to feed my pickle addition, you know.
And it is a sneaky way to get you some more veggies
What a great idea!! I never used to like pickles, but they slowly grew on me- first bread & butter, then gherkin, finally dill.
But only plain- not on sandwiches!
I love pickles. But only restaurant style dill pickles. The best ones were the ones that I ate fresh out of the tub when I worked in food service. For some reason that didn’t gross me out as much as the rest of that job.
Love this! My husband has gotten really into pickling lately, so I’m going to pass this along to him. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful idea! I’m the same with pickles at restaurants – never too interested. But these sound great!
I’m not a fan of pickles either, but I’d gladly eat pickled veggies mmmm love all your canning adventures!
Oh wow… this look fantastic. I am definitely going to have to give these a try…. My Uncle used to make “watermelon pickles”– and I loved them because they were a bit sweeter
I’m actually one of those who doesn’t tend to discriminate when it comes to pickles (I tend to love them all: dill, sweet, bread&butter…drools) — so I’m definitely going to give these a try 