Millers Bay Farm
It’s getting to be that time of year! You know, the time when your social media feed becomes speckled with photos from friends showing off rows and rows of jars containing carefully and lovingly packed and pickled produce.
Does the very thought of pickling or canning make your heart race? You are not alone!
Let’s face it…Pickling is hard work. There’s the set up, the washing, the packing & sealing, the boiling….and THEN the clean-up. We’re exhausted just thinking about it!
You may not believe it, (with all of this wonderful produce at our fingertips…), but despite our very best intentions, there are some years that we don’t get around to doing much canning at all!
Perhaps you can relate. No time? No help? No interest?
Here’s the thing though…It’s all what you make it. Don’t feel intimidated. There is no hard and fast rule about the ‘right’ number of jars to make in a batch. If you feel more comfortable starting with only a few, then go for it! There are many people who will make a small batch of just 6 to 8 jars of their favourite recipe. Don’t let anyone tell you that your pickling must involve days of work and multiple bushels of produce!
If your goal is to stock your shelves for the winter, why not enlist some friends or family members and make an event out of your pickling day? It can be quite a fun and productive time of fellowship when done as a team! Perhaps it could even be the start of a great new tradition.
Maybe all of the muss and fuss is just not up your alley. That’s ok. There is another way – besides heading over to your local Farmers’ Market or specialty shop and buying them by the jar! How about testing the waters of the pickling world in the easiest possible way… Refrigerator Pickles. No hot jars, no canning kettles, no HUGE batches or day long canning sessions….
It’s the perfect chance to give it a try! Who knows, it might just be the beginning of a new culinary adventure!!
If you are feeling inspired, don’t wait. Stop by your local Farmers’ Market or Farm Stand soon. Pickling cucumbers are in season now, and they won’t last forever!
