The search for the perfect pickle....

So a few weeks ago, the local Co-op I belong to offered a big box of pickling cucumbers for sale. I have been meaning to tell you all about this fan-tas-tic co op i belong to. I pay $30 for an overflowing laundry basket half full of fruits and half full of veggies. Often I need to grab one of their cardboard boxes to get everything as it just can't fit into my large laundry basket.

I LOVE IT! Much better deal than that organic co op i belonged to in Md. Oh. my. word. that was a rip off!

Anyway...... many of you know how my family feels about fruit and veggies ( we ate a bushel of peaches in just a few days last summer). I And I love pickles. But not the vlasic, deli dill or any store bought variety. No.

I love the New York, Carnegie deli, Stage deli pickles. The kind that are still bright green--not yellow-- and definately crispy-not soft and bendable. No thank you.

SO i thought--hey! school is out..... this would be a fun project. I did some online research and found it is really easy. Way easier than peaches. So I ordered the cukes and got ready.

Canning day came and I could almost taste the crisp carnegie deli pickles....yeah!

Until i processed the jars.

Even with the short cooking time the pickles turned...... yellow. no no no....yes yes yes. they turned yellow and a bit soft. They are still yummy...for a regular pickle. But they don't hold a candle to the fresh NY style pickle.

Here they are before i processed them...nice and bright green...




SO it was back to the drawing board--or internet, in my case. I came across another recipe for refrigerator pickles...and they look right in the picture--a lovely green.

I made them today. Yeah!

They have to sit in the refrigerator in the solution for a week before they are ready. We leave in 5 days. Not-so-'yeah!'.

Chuck and travis and nora will have to try them for me while i am away. I'll keep you posted.... I know you all can't wait to hear the results.

yeah, right.

;)