Ralph and I have set August aside to host our available friends at the farm. Each week, we have made plans to spend time with the people in our life that we cherish. It’ s lovely to be here in such a relaxed atmosphere. Other than the meals, we plan very little, as we are an hour away from any sort of shopping!
The weather dictates what we will do.
This week we had the company of two little girls and their parents. Despite the dreary weather, it was absolutely delightful! It is remarkable to watch a child explore the world. Every thing that we did was such an adventure. From feeding the goldfish to patting the horses to tasting some of the vegetables in my garden – they were completely entertained and so were we.
Their mother and I decided that we would make dill pickles. We hopped in my truck and headed down to Greg and Mark Baleman’s farm to pick our ‘cukes’. Three hours later we had twenty-two quarts of garlicky dill pickles. You would be amazed at how much fun trying to ‘count all of the cucumbers’ can be!
Garlicky Dill Pickles
makes 6 quarts
25-30 dill size cucumbers
3 quarts water
1 quart white vinegar
1 cup coarse salt
fresh dill weed
6 cloves of garlic
Wash and dry cukes.
Bring vinegar, water and salt to a rolling boil and continue to boil for 2 minutes.
Pack cukes into sterilized bottles*. Add garlic clove and a head of dill in each jar.
Pour hot vinegar mixture over packed cukes leaving 1/2″ head room and seal.
*Follow manufacture’s directions for sterilizing bottles and lids.
Keep pickles in a dark and cool place for 6 weeks before using.
Serve chilled.
Thanks for reading.
