HEY! Do you have TOO MUCH ZUCCHINI?
Of course you do, if you planted any.
You should TURN THEM INTO PICKLES.
This recipe is adapted from here, and by adapted I mean "I am giving you more instructions, DO NOT change canning recipes except to change the spices."
16 cups fresh zucchini, THINLY sliced
4 cups onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
4 cups apple cider vinegar (5%)
Note: you can adjust this recipe proportionally and not affect anything. Got 8 cups? Cut it in half.
First up: SLICE YOUR VEGETABLES VERY THINLY. Use a mandoline. You will thank me. These are best used in small amounts, and a huge bite of a thick slice of pickled zucchini isn't very good.
If you aren't good at canning, you can make a small batch and it will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, but honestly, you can absolutely can things if you can carefully follow instructions! Don't be scared! Just follow the steps and don't cut corners.
Start by reading this and this.
Put the zucchini, onions and salt in a large bowl or clean plastic tub, cover with an inch of water, and leave for 2 hours.
This is a great time to set up your work area, get you washed jars (this recipe makes 8 - 9 pints) into a pot of warm water on medium heat on the stove, etc. (You don't want to put hot food into cold jars.) Once you get started on the next step, things happen fast, so get it all ready now.
Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil and add zucchini and onions.
Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
Do each jar separately from start to finish:
Fill pint or half pint jars with pickle mixture and brine.
Go around the inside of each jar with your bubble popper and leave a half inch of head space at the top.
Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp, clean paper towel.
Put the flat part of the lid on the jar.
Put the ring part of the lid on. You must be able to reopen the jar using only your fingertips. Don't tighten the lid more than that.
Put the jar into your canning pot, on a canning rack. Do not put jars right on the bottom of the pot.
Make sure that there is at least an inch of water above the lid of the tallest jar.
If you have less than a full jar left over, put a lid on it and stick it in the fridge.
When you are done, turn the heat up on the canning pot. Start your processing timer when the water reaches a rolling boil.
Process according to time below. Try one of the pickles from the jar you put in the fridge.
Start your cleanup now, because you won't want to do it afterwards.
Leave the jars to sit for 10 minutes. Drink some water.
Lift the jars straight up out of the water using a jar lifter and set onto a folded towel to avoid temperature shock.
Resist the urge to tip the water off the top. They need to stay upright.
Let that big pot of very hot water cool down before you try to empty it. Don't burn yourself.
Leave the jars alone for 24h and then tap the lids with a spoon to test the seals. If they "thunk" you can reprocess them once, or just put them into the fridge.
Take the rings off the lids. DO NOT store canned food with the rings on!
PROCESSING TIME BY ELEVATION
0 - 1,000 ft — 10 minutes
1,001 - 6,000 ft — 15 minutes
Above 6,000 ft — 20 minutes
Now, take a couple of those pickles, pile them on a fat slice of fresh mozzarella, put a cherry tomato on top, and shove the whole thing in your mouth.
