A Summer's Worth of Goodness

As summer draws to a close, I'd like to share my adventures in preserving.  Until recently, I'd never pickled or canned anything.  We are a member of a local CSA  and there are times I have too much of something for just the two of us to eat.  Keeping with my vow to throw away less food, I decided to learn how to can.  In addition to dehydrating some tomatoes and freezing the vegetables that freeze well or can be used in soups this winter, here's what I have made.

As a kid, I remember eating Lime Pickles.  To this day, I remember how much I enjoyed their crisp crunchy taste.  With a little research and some assistance from Tim,  we made these Lime Pickles.  I chose not to dye them green, as I think I remember them being when I was young.

Tim says he can take or leave pickles but does remember those great Bread and Butter pickles his mom made when he was a kid.  He says these taste just like the ones his mom made.  Curious why they're called Bread Butter pickles?  It's because during the Depression they were as as common as bread and butter.

Searching for a different type of pickle, I ran across this recipe that uses IPA beer as the base.  They won't be ready for a couple of weeks.  I am looking forward to checking them out!!

If you read Lynn's blog, Happier Than a Pig in Mud, you're most likely familiar with her Freezer Pickles.  I actually made these for the first time last summer.  I put them in the freezer in the garage and apparently forgot about them.   While seeing what was lurking in the freezer, I found them.  I love them, they are delicious.  To me they're a cross between a pickle and a cucumber.  I use them on everything, salads, burgers, brats and sandwiches.  They're perfect for a cold winter day when you are missing the taste of summer. 

My friend Larry loves jalapenos. Whenever we eat out, he will often ask for a side of jalapenos.  I made him these pickled jalapenos (No picture, I forgot to take one before I gave them to him.).  He said, "they were excellent with a strong kick".  After making a batch of this salsa I had some leftover jalapenos and decided to give these Candied Jalapenos a try.  They have to sit for a few weeks before they're ready for eating, so I don't have his comments on these just yet.

We were lucky enough to have delicious Missouri peaches in our CSA this summer.  These were some of the best peaches I'd had in years.  I am sure like a lot of the fruits and vegetables this summer, our intense heat has caused them to be sweeter.  Having made regular peach jam before I wanted to try something different.  I found this recipe which takes Martha Stewart's Rosemary Peach Jam and adds pepper to it.  I am looking forward to trying this with cream cheese and crackers, on chicken or a pork loin.

 (Left to Right IPA Pickles, Peppered Rosemary Peach Jam, Bread and Butter Pickles, Lime Pickles, Freezer Pickles, Candied Jalapenos)

As we enter the final weeks of our CSA, we'll receive acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkins and cabbage in our bags.  I need to research some preserving techniques for these items.  Does anyone have any great recipes, they'd like to share?

I am linking this to On The Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday.