Dill Pickles

Over the February holiday, I was in northern Manitoba and visited Mom’s friend who is 95 years old this year and looks fabulous. We had a delightful visit as Emily reminisced about Nellie.  I love those wonderful feel good reminisces of my Mom with her as they are always filed with great stories and laughter!  Although she is a picture of health, her eye sight is falling and after her home remedy treatment of a bruise resulting from a nasty fall, she is  convince that her home remedies are mproving her eyesight.. Her rational can not be agreed with as she questions how pioneer survived without medical treatment, if not for home remedies!  

Her daughter Hope filled me in with local news and also gossip and most sadly of the funeral that day of a two month infant who died of SIDS.  As I left  their place, Hope gave me a parcel of home made cheese and potatoes peroghies, butter tarts and a pint sized jar of pickles..

Hope preserves her dill pickles in pints as she loves opening a fresh jar of pickles for a meal.  She feels that opening a larger jar and then storing the pickles in the refrig that the pickles are not as nice and also become stronger in taste.  

Here is her recipe which others use in the village and are great to take to a BBQ.

Scrub and wash the fresh young cucumbers.

Fill the jars tightly with the cukes and fresh dill

Garlic cloves to taste.  Hope puts a lot of garlic cloves into each pint!

Brine solution

21 cups of water

1 cup of sugar

1 salt- Hope says she uses a bit less than a cup full of salt  

Bring brine to a full boil then pour over the cukes. The heat of the brine will seal the pickles but she keeps the jars in a refrigerator.

The well water that they used to use to make pickles has been legendary as to the quality of great pickles! Sadly this well is not being used any more! Jonathan was pleased to receive the jar of pickle.. I wonder if they tasted as good as they looked!