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Bread-and-Butter Zucchini Pickles

Source of Recipe

From "Preserving by the Pint" by Marisa McClellan


Recipe Introduction

"In late summer, when the zucchini plants begin to explode, do yourself a favor and make up a batch of this pickle. I find that zucchini does far better than cucumbers in this particular application, absorbing plenty of flavor and staying nicely crisp. We eat it with roast chicken all winter long."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 cup cider vinegar
â—¦ ½ cup honey
â—¦ 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
â—¦ 1 teaspoon celery seeds
â—¦ ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground cumin
â—¦ 1 tablespoon finely milled sea salt
â—¦ 1 pound young zucchini, thickly sliced
â—¦ 1 cup sliced and seeded red bell pepper
â—¦ 1 cup sliced onion


Recipe

Prepare a boiling water bath and four half-pint jars. Place four lids in a small saucepan of water and bring to a gentle simmer.

In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar and honey. Heat until the honey is dissolved. Add the mustard seeds, celery seeds, chili flakes, cumin, and salt and bring to a boil. Once the liquid is rolling, add the zucchini, red pepper, and onion. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, until everything is fully heated through.

Using tongs, divide the vegetables among the prepared jars. Top with the brine, leaving ½ inch of headspace. After all the jars are full, use a wooden chopstick to dislodge any trapped air bubbles. Add more liquid to return the headspace to ½ inch, if necessary. Wipe the jar rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let these pickles cure for at least a week prior to eating them.

Makes 4 half-pint jars