Dill Pickles
Nick has been choosing pickles as his snack of choice lately and so, when we saw all of the cucumbers for sale at the Kingfield Farmers' Market on Sunday, we decided to buy some and try our hand at home pickling. After purchasing three dollars' worth of cucumbers, and a dollar's worth of dill, we headed home with a Sunday project.
Cucumbers
Reading up on cucumbers in our 'Asparagus to Zucchini' book, I found out that, while not the most nutritious of veggies, they do have a really high Vitamin E content. I'm not sure what happens to that content after pickling.
Dill
Dill, turns out, is named based on the derivative of a Norse word dilla or dylle, meaning 'to sooth or lull.' Apparently this is in reference to it's know carminative properties. Upset stomach and bloating? Try some dill.
Water bath
Since this is the first time we've pickled anything, I read up on the process a bit. The acetic acid in the vinegar that we used creates a high acid environment to prevent microorganisms from growing within the jar. The water bath ensures that the lids form a tight seal and that any microorganisms are destroyed. Our lids seem to be on nice and tight. So, now we just have to wait for 8 weeks with the jars in a cool dark place and hope for the best.
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