Hello Lovelies,

I finally got my jars and tools I will need to start my canning and on top of that Walmart had inexpensive .88 cent bake sheets, cake pans, loaf pans, and a pizza pan. Guess who has all? With my new mixer and canner….I’d say I’m good.

I canned spicy pickles tonight! They look so yummy I can’t wait to try them. Thank goodness for the YouTube videos I watch religiously because this is so intimidating. Here’s the recipe I used.

My Pickle Brine
-2 quarts water
-1/2 cup salt
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 quart 5% distilled white vinegar
-4 whole habanero
-1/2 cup pickling spice
-few shakes of red pepper flake

-20 pickling cucumbers
-4 quart jars
-2 diced raw onions

To make your brine bring all ingredients to a boil for 15 minutes.

To prepare you will need to sterilize your jars. Then fill them with quartered pickling cucumbers as well as the diced onions, and pack tight.  

In a small pot, bring water to a boil and drop in your lids and metal rings to sterilize them.  Turn the heat off and let them sit. 

With a funnel or very carefully pour the hot brine over cucumbers and leave 1 inch headspace. Headspace is a term they use for leave an inch from the top of the jar from the liquid. Using a knife or chopstick like object poke inside your jar. This will get out any air bubbles and prevent nasty stuff from growing. Wipe the edge of your jar with a damp rag to remove drips and moisture. Grab your lid which you soaked in boiling hot water and secure with the ring.

Bring canner or large deep pot to a boil, place jars in the pot on top of a metal rack so your jars dont break, and bring to a rolling boil, then simmer 15 minutes to process.

Processing means the water is heating inside and outside of the jar hot enough and long enough to kill off bacteria, fungus, etc.

After the jars have processed for 15 minutes, take them out carefully or use the jar tongs they sell in the canning section. Let them sit on the counter for 12 hours to cool.

Timing is everything and depends on your elevation above sea level as well as acidity of your food and the type of food. They make special books that take the guesswork completely out of canning. It’s much much easier than it looks and YouTube is a wealth of knowledge on doing it. This is my first time and honestly I had fun!