Although rumor has it if you follow the other recommended tips above, that the grape leaves may not be necessary at all. We just continue to use the heirloom method because we have easy access to them, and well, it can’t hurt! Add all the brine ingredients to a stainless steel or other non-reactive pan (i.e. not aluminum or cast iron) and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Turn off heat and allow mixture to steep while you prep the cukes and fill the sterilized jars. Ingredient Tips: Other uses for this chemical include using it as a water hardening agent, in medicine, and in road work. It is often used in below-ground pools as the calcium leeches into the concrete and help prevent erosion. Its medicinal abilities include lowering blood pressure and soothing acid burns. Step 7: Place a hot lid out of the warm water onto the top of the jar and add a ring. Hand tightens the ring.

Step 4: Add in the lids and rings. Bring water to a boil. Once this starts to boil, you can turn the heat down to low and leave it on the stove for the entire time you are canning. It was a treasure trove! The book recipes are super exciting, but the handwritten notes on beautiful cards were the highlight. The small clippings cut out of old newspapers delicately pinned inside the book were so incredibly charming, I just about lost my mind. I made them anyway, tossing his concern to the wind. I bottled ten beautiful jars that summer and they were elegant green gems in pristine glass bottles that I obsessively admired.

Yes. Add a few sprigs of Dill in place of the 1 teaspoon of dill seed per jar. I prefer fresh dill myself. Can I Add Onions? As with the Ball jars, I prefer the ball-brand lids too. There are some cheaper brands, but they sometimes fail. It is best to bite the bullet and buy the name brand when it comes to food safety in my opinion. Ingredients-makes 2 Pint Jars Cucumbers I prefer Ball Glass Jars. You will need 2-pint size jars for this recipe. If you want to can more, simply double or triple the recipe. This simple recipe is great, especially for when you are just getting a few cucumbers off the vine. I kept thinking about the women who had that book through those ten decades, and it left me very nostalgic. Step 2: Add in jars and turn the stove on high heat to bring water up to a rolling boil.Make sure that the water covers the jars by at least an inch.

I thought for a dollar it would, at the very least, make another pretty flower pressing book (because you can’t have enough of those!). These seriously couldn’t be easier to make. From start to finish you’re looking at 3 ingredients, 20 minutes. Start water bath now – you want it close to the boiling point by the time you are ready to add your jars. My suggestion if you are unsure how hot you want them is to do a few tests and mark your jars. This way you know for next year what was perfect. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. I love these with Buttermilk Ranch or my Tangy Alabama White Sauce.Cool. Let the cheddar chips cool in the muffin pan for a couple of minutes. Then transfer to paper towel-lined plates to drain and crisp up.