Leila’s Scrumptious Icicle Spear Pickles
Contributed by Judy Webb
Dedicated to Leila Webb and Julia
“You know it's done when you hear the canning lids snap into place”
Since [my] mother passed away I've been doing more reflection than usual thinking about the impact women in my life have had on me.
Since [my] mother passed away I've been doing more reflection than usual thinking about the impact women in my life have had on me.
My former mother-in-law, Lelia Webb, taught me so much about canning and pickling.
I remember her saying you can pickle anything.
Queen Anne's Lace, pigs feet or nasturtium seeds(capers) to name a few. She use to pickle the seed heads of Queen Anne's Lace, a flowering weed, sometimes referred to as wild carrots. Parts of this plant can be toxic. She used them as a condiment with beans and chopped them up in potato salad.
I remember her saying you can pickle anything.
Queen Anne's Lace, pigs feet or nasturtium seeds(capers) to name a few. She use to pickle the seed heads of Queen Anne's Lace, a flowering weed, sometimes referred to as wild carrots. Parts of this plant can be toxic. She used them as a condiment with beans and chopped them up in potato salad.
I could ramble on for hours about pickling and canning. I am always amazed when I think about immigrants to this country and what they brought with them. Most important was shelter and food. Seeds wrapped tightly in a piece of cloth for the long journey to this country was a promise of what to come. Ship manifest are just peppered with everything they brought with them to start a new life.
My favorite pickle that she made were Icicle Spears. It took several days.
For the pickles all of the ingredients can be purchased at the grocery store, including pickling lime, alum and spices. No particular brand. When you're using vinegar and sugar the cheaper the better.
I always find jars at Salvation Army or yard sales reasonably priced.
If you need lids and rings you can purchase them at the grocery store. Jars, rings and lids come in a variety of sizes. Jars can be 1/2 pints, pints, quarts or gallon sizes. Lids and rings include regular or wide mouthed sizes. I prefer wide mouth jars because they're easier to pack.
For the cucumbers, I've always grown my own. Lelia had a huge garden. She and her husband grew up during the depression and didn't waste anything . They had several fruit trees. When they would harvest the apples in the Fall, she would dry the apple pulp for fruit pies or make applesauce. She would use the peels and cores to make apple jelly and used an apple press to make cider. For the icicle spears she used the big cucumbers that were seedy and turning yellow. Usually, most folks in the country would throw them over the fence for the hogs.
She would take 8 lbs of cucumbers, peel, cut them lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Then she would cut them in long spears. First she would soak them over night in a mixture of 1/2 cup lime with about 10 cups of water. Second day she would rise them well and then mix 10 cups of water with 1 & 1/2 tsp of alum and bring to a boil, then "pour over cucumbers and soak over night. Third day she would rinse them well and repeat step one. On the fourth day she would rinse them well and drain.
Then she would mix the pickling brine, 12 cups of water, 8 cups of sugar, 4 cups of white vinegar and 2 T of pickling spice. Bring to a boil and pour over cucumbers and soak over night. On the last day she would bring the cucumbers with the brine to a boil and then pack in sterilized quart canning jars leaving 1/2 inch head space in each jar. She would cap each jar with a sterilized lid and ring and screw lid till firm. Place each jar in a hot water bath and bring to a boil for no more than 15 minutes. Remove jars from canner and allow to cool and check to be sure jars seal. Can store for months till they are ready to use.
They are so crisp and good!
You know it's done when you hear the canning lids snap into place. After you remove the jars from the canner and the steam begins to escape ,when the lids seal they make a snapping sound. Needless to say that's a sound of success! Music to your ears!
You know it's done when you hear the canning lids snap into place.
Needless to say that's a sound of success! Music to your ears!
I'm so vain, that I leave the newly canned food on the counter tops for days just to admire the results. Plus, most canners place jars on open shelving so everyone else can admire your work too.
When canning the arrangement of the food in the jar is important for visual appeal.
Cucumber spears should be vertical and facing the same direction as you rotate them in a row in the jar.
If pickling veggies for example, different layers of color matter. Layers of carrots, cherry tomatoes and cauliflower provide a rainbow of color. Placement of fresh dill heads or hot pepper should be against the outer surface of the jar so they are visible. A wooden spoon handle is great in arranging placement of food in the jars before pouring in the brine.
Always fun to cook with someone else. I enjoy the different aromas and the whole house is filled with the different scents, always Christmas!
Then in conclusion you dream of a tuna fish sandwich because you know you are going to be opening a jar of Lelia's scrumptious Icicle Spear Pickles!
Then in conclusion you dream of a tuna fish sandwich because you know you are going to be opening a jar of Lelia's scrumptious Icicle Spear Pickles!
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