Im just going to say it: I love pickles.
As a kid, my mom had to stop me from drinking pickle juice straight from the jar.
You get the picture.
She helped me make my first hot water bath dill pickle recipe and in turn, Ill help you.
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Thats not true at all, Sofranko said.
I bust a lot of canning myths.
Pickling and canning follow the same essential process.
Sofranko uses a base brine ratio to calculate how much brine she needs for any batch of pickled goods.
For example: You have eight jars.
Eight divided by 2 is 4.
So, you need 4 cups of vinegar, 4 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of pickling salt.
Essential Pickling Supplies
A one-time investment will have you set for life.
There are many options online and at your local hardware store or Walmart.
Dont be alarmed by the number of steps.
These are detailed instructions to help you through your first go at making pickles.
Urban Canning Company provided this recipe.
However, it’s possible for you to tweak it to your taste.
Ive made several batches at home since the class and experimented with different vegetables, spices and flavors.
Pickling is actually fun.
If everything goes well, your pickles are forever preserved.
Its like a time capsule.
Nothing can happen inside of there, said Sofranko.
Any leftover brine can be stored, reheated and reused later.
Buying in bulk will get you the most bang for your buck when pickling.
It helps the farmers, you and the local economy.
Sofranko feels the savings go beyond that, too.
A jar of pickles runs anywhere from $2 to $4.
Sofranko estimates making your own not including labor and overhead costs $1 to $1.25 per jar.
She gets 56 to 60 jars of pickles from one crate of cucumbers.
Thats enough to last any normal person years.
The grocery savings add up even more if you grow and pickle from a home garden.
Food Waste
Its common to throw away scraps of produce.
Frombroccoli stemsto the beautiful purple centers of swiss chard, theyre all edible and fair pickling game.
Use those extras as gifts for family and friends, especially if they have a penchant for pickles.
Consider putting a pickled spin on their favorite foods like peppers, brussel sprouts or asparagus.
Plus, you could give to more people for what you might spend on one.
We all know that the fastest way to the heart is through the stomach.
The lids are the only piece you cant reuse in the hot water bath.
Youll have to replace those every time.
What you make is exactly what you get.
Hello, hot asparagus!
Sofranko finds inspiration in fusion cocktails.
She brings those flavors into her jams and pickles, which she said can get pretty creative.
Food Storage
Traditionally, canning and pickling happened during the main harvest seasons.
Nowadays, we have access to many more food sources even in tough seasonal climates.
But whenever a bad storm approaches whether it be a hurricane or snow a mad dash for supplies ensues.
you’re able to skip that part knowing you have plenty of ready-to-eat nonperishable food right at home.
She finds her Zen in it.
It clears your mind, and you feel better afterwards.
you might see what you accomplished, and you get to eat the reward of your labor.
It tastes better, she said.
Cooking as a meditative and mindful practice is a thing.
Pickling can help us find a slice of peace in our busy lives.
That was a community experience for those women.
They loved getting together and doing this.
It was part of their tradition, Sofranko said.
Group effort takes less time and makes the process fun and purposeful.
Stephanie Bolling is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
She has never picked a peck of pickled peppers.
It sounds appealing right?
Check it out here!
