Got Zucchini? Make Zucchini Pickles.

Are you in zucchini overload? This is the time of year that you probably have more zucchini then you know what to do with. Well today I want to share a recipe that will help you use all that extra zucchini from your garden. I don't know what happened with our garden this year. It just didn't do as well as it has in the past. All we got was 3 little zucchinis and that was it. I sure miss the days of having more than I know what to do with. Usually we end up sharing with our neighbors because we have so much.

Any zucchini that we used this year was either bought at the grocery store or the farmers market. We don't have any friends that we know of that have a vegetable garden, so we couldn't bum any from them. I wanted to get a jump on some holiday gifts so I ended up purchasing some from Kroger last week. Kroger had zucchini bundles in the clearance bin so the price was a steal to say the least.

I wanted to get started on some Zucchini Pickles and share the recipe with everyone because they are the perfect gift especially around the holidays. These pickles are so delicious and very easy to make. I did run into one problem and that was that I didn't have any turmeric on hand. So I just substituted with pickling spice and the flavor was really good.

If you like sweet pickles and you love zucchini then this recipe is the best of both worlds. Before I go I would love to know what home canned items you give as gifts during the holiday season? This is just a small start for me but I also love to give jams, apple butter, preserves, squash relish, spiced tea and these wonderful pickles.

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and slice along with the onion. Combine in a large nonreactive bowl. Cover with cool water and stir in kosher salt. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Prepare boiling water canner. Sterilize jars and prepare lids and rings. After the 2 hours is up drain the zucchini - onion mixture and discard the liquid. In a medium size saucepan combine vinegar, sugar,

mustard seed and turmeric or pickling spice. I only used pickling spice because I was out of tumeric. I highly recommend the tumeric to make these pickles. Bring to a boil. Add zucchini and onions and simmer for 5 minutes. I did mine backwards and added the zucchini first and then all the ingredients. Don't ask me why but that is how it ended up.
Pack pickle mixture into hot jars leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Discard any excess liquid. Remove air bubbles from jars. Wipe the rims of the jars and then center the lids. Screw on the rings until tight but not to tight. Process jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars to a kitchen cloth and let cool. Check lids as the cool to make sure they have sealed.

Keep in a cool place for up to one year.

Zucchini Pickles

1 lb - zucchini, thinly sliced
1 - small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 - tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 - cups white vinegar
1 - cup sugar
1 - teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (prefer) or

Combine zucchini and onion in a larger nonreactive bowl. Cover with cool water and stir in kosher salt. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Prepare boiling water canner. Sterilize jars and prepare lids and rings. After the 2 hours is up drain the zucchini - onion mixture and toss the liquid. In a medium size saucepan combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and turmeric. Bring to a boil. Add zucchini and onions and simmer for 5 minutes.

Pack pickle mixture into hot jars leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Discard any excess liquid. Remove air bubbles from jars. Wipe the rims of the jars and then center the lids. Screw on the rings until tight but not to tight. Process jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars to a kitchen cloth and let cool. Check lids as the cool to make sure they have sealed. Keep in a cool place for up to one year. I used about a pound and a half of zucchini and got five half pint jars.

For a step by step tutorial on how to can in a hot water bath click here.

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Tina, The Mom in Mommy's Kitchen