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Gina is a dear friend of mine, and when I saw that she was canning (again!), I asked if she would share her day with us. She shared more than just a day, she shared her heart, her heritage. I hope you enjoy the story and the recipes as much as I did! Blessings, Rosalyn  Gina's Mom & Nana Pupkis My Nana Pupkis was not a common grandmother with silver hair, a gentle smile and quiet demeanor. This venerable lady had flaming red curly hair, a vibrant smile (always painted a lively shade of red), a sense of humor a mile wide, and the kind of infectious laugh that almost always had her doubling over and slapping her knee. She had a sparkle in her eye – a curiously mischievous nature for a grandmother - and she was hilariously fun, although she kept hard and fast rules for us grandchildren, which we followed, no questions asked. Or Else. She was very much like the pickles she was famous for.... bright, strong, and a little surprising. Nana's homemade pickles are a summer tradition in our family -- as common-place for us as beaches and picnics are for our neighbors. Nana Pupkis had two recipes she was known for, and the first time you try one of these crisp tasty preserves, your taste buds will jump with delight. They’re incredibly flavorful and like nothing you’ll find on a shelf in any store. The Sour pickles are much more pungent than the dill, and I wouldn’t recommend the Sours unless you love cider vinegar and horseradish. So, here are the recipes, but there is more here than meets the eye. I have provided the information you'll need beyond the basic recipe. I learned the nuances of crafting these pickles not from following the recipe, but from observing .  bath time for baby cucumbers Nana's Nuance #1 - Cucumbers The MOST important detail is to use pickling cucumbers that are small and fresh. Finding these can be challenging, because I don’t recommend using the selection from your grocery store. Fresh cucumbers are the key to crisp, crunchy pickles. Call around to your local farms and ask if they have small pickling cucumbers. When I say small, I mean SMALL. I don’t consider a 4-5 inch pickling cuke to be small. The ideal size is 3 inches long or smaller. If the cucumbers are big (over 3 ½ inches), you can’t pack as many in a typical “Ball” mason jar, and the more likely they are to rise to the top as you add the hot brine. If anything floats to the top of the brine it will be exposed and could possibly ruin the entire jar. I don’t simply rinse my cucumbers – I actually scrub each one (gently) with lukewarm soapy water and a dish sponge, and then rinse them very well. This process takes a little longer, but people’s hands have been all over them , and I like to be sure they’re really clean.  sterilize jars, lids & bands Nana's Nuance #2 - Sterilizing Jars, Lids & Bands If you own a dishwasher, and can set it to “sanitize” with a “heated” drying cycle, you don’t need to sterilize your jars in boiling water. If you don’t own a dishwasher, sterilize your jars (completely immersed) in boiling water for 15 minutes. You will also need to sterilize your lids and bands in boiling water for 15 minutes as well, which I do on the stove in a soup pot, because they’re small and you can do them all at once. I also throw a metal pair of tongs into the pot to sterilize the tips (because you’ll need something to pull the lids and bands out as you’re sealing your jars).  packing cucumbers Recipe: Dill Pickles 1 c. pickling salt 1 qt. white vinegar 2 qts water 18 cloves of garlic, husked & scored Dill Seed Fresh Dill, 18 small bunches Cucumbers (approx. 36 small or 30 medium) Wash enough cucumbers (approx 7 per jar if the cukes are small, 4-5/jar if they’re bigger) to fill 6 quart jars that have been sterilized for 15 minutes. Pack cukes in jars and add 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp dill seed, and 3 small bunches of fresh dill to each jar. Heat the vinegar, water and salt, stirring occasionally, until it boils (and this can be doubled or tripled). Turn down to a simmer, but you want to keep this brine as hot as possible, right up until you’re pouring it into the jars... don’t let it cool. Pour the brine so that it completely covers EVERYTHING in the jar (right up to the top if you have to), and seal. I seal each jar as soon as I pour the hot brine in. Tighten each lid as much as possible, and let it stand to cool. Allow to set for a minimum of four weeks in a cool dark place, but understand they don’t need to be refrigerated until you’ve opened the jar. Nana's Nuance #3 - Scoring Garlic & Naughty Pickles Be certain to score each garlic clove for your Dill Pickles with a knife. My grandmother told me that helps to release the flavor of the garlic. If any of your dill jars become cloudy, that means the jar has gone bad. DO NOT EAT THESE.  ready to make sour pickles Recipe: Sour Pickles 1 gallon cider vinegar 1 c. dry mustard 1 c. sugar 1 c. pickling salt Horseradish Root, peeled & cubed Cucumbers (approx. 36 small or 30 medium) Wash enough cucumbers (approx 7 per jar if the cukes are small, 4-5/jar if they’re bigger) to fill 6 quart jars that have been sterilized for 15 minutes. Pack your jars with cukes, and add 3-4 chunks of peeled, cubed (1/2-inch sized) horseradish root to each jar. Then, heat the vinegar, mustard, sugar and salt, stirring occasionally, until it boils (and this can be doubled or tripled). Turn down to a simmer, but you want to keep this brine as hot as possible, right up until you’re pouring it into the jars... don’t let it cool. Pour the brine so that it completely covers EVERYTHING in the jar (right up to the top if you have to), and seal immediately. I seal each jar as soon as I pour the hot brine in. Tighten each lid as much as possible, and let it stand to cool. Allow to set for a minimum of four weeks in a cool dark place, but understand they don’t need to be refrigerated until you’ve opened the jar. Nana's Nuance #4 - Horseradish's Cloudy Nature The horseradish will have been freshly cut, so no need to score the horseradish for the Sour pickles. The brine for the Sour pickles is cloudy by nature (and will separate after they’ve cooled..). that’s OK  sour pickles awaiting brine  a family legacy - washed, brined and sealed Nana's Nuance #5 - Sucking Seals As your jars cool, you’ll hear the vacuum seal suck the lid down (it’s sort of a popping sound). Important: after the jar has cooled, if you press on the lid of the jar and the center doesn’t pop back, it’s sealed. If you press on the lid, and the center of the lids pops down and back up, it isn’t vacuum sealed, and the pickles will most likely go bad. (Rosalyn's Note - If the dome is convex 24 hours after canning, the jar will not seal and may be refrigerated without fear of bacteria growth. Retighten lid and use within a month .)
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