Time to start preserving some of your surplus produce

of fresh cucumbers to begin and that will make about 5 or 6 pints. They don’t have to be pickling-type cucumbers, although the ones that are only about the size of the pint jar are ideal for canning whole. Bigger ones are cut into spears. Any cucumber is fine, as long as it is freshly harvested and not over ripe. Over ripe cucumbers will be yellowish in color and the seeds will be fully formed and hard. They will also be less juicy than younger ones and might have a bitter taste. Don’t can bitter tasting cucumbers, since they will only get worse during processing. No need to peel the cucumbers after washing them. Put the cucumbers in the coldest part of the refrigerator immediately after harvest. If picked at prime condition they will easily keep for a week or more.

Next, prepare the pickling brine by combining 3 cups water with 2 ¾ cups of white vinegar, ¼ cup salt (do not use iodized salt as this will ruin the pickles, use non-iodized canning salt or Kosher salt), 25 peppercorns and about a dozen cloves of garlic. Bring the brine to a boil and keep it simmering. Before you stuff the cut cucumbers into freshly washed canning jars, put a few sprigs of fresh dill and a clove of garlic into each jar. Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers, but leave a half inch of space at the top of the jar. You may add the garlic cloves and peppercorns from the brine or strain them out. Put the lids on, (use new lids) screw on the rings and process the jars in a pressure canner or hot water bath for 10 minutes. Make sure the jars seal properly after removing from the hot water. The lids will make a “pinging” sound as they seal. You

can remove the screw tops or leave them on.

These pickles are ready to eat in about a week and will easily last until next summer. You can add a few other ingredients to the jars such as hot peppers.

Sadly, I don’t have nearly enough tomatoes to get started on sauce yet, but I did have a good garlic harvest. This ritual of putting up winter food at this time of year is a time-honored tradition that was critical to many of our grandparents or parent’s lives in the past. The truth is that I probably

Sadly, I don’t have nearly enough tomatoes to get started on sauce yet, but I did have a good garlic harvest.

spend more money doing this myself every year then I would spend buying pickles or tomato sauce on sale, but no store bought pickles or tomato sauce taste as good or are as satisfying as my own.

Bob Beyfuss lives and gardens in Schoharie County. Send him an e-mail to rlb14@cornell. edu.