Southern Belle Magazine Digital #02 August 2013 | Page 14

Ha ppy P i c k l i n g ! Ha! We shared a fine laugh together over that, and the deal was sealed. Drawn to her sassy sense of candor, I knew she was one of “those people,” and never mind that she was a total stranger. Soul sister. Now I won’t be able to polish off five hundred jars by myself like the Queen can, but I sure will be back to see her again this summer for at least a bushel. And as for the secret to crisp pickles, well there’s any number of ways to go about that. Some say adding fresh grape or cherry leaves to your jars will keep them firm. Others, including my Pickle Queen, swear by a no-processing method; simply pour your boiling hot brine over raw-packed cucumbers, wipe and tighten the lid, and turn upside down until you hear it pop. As for myself, I worry about that little ol’ pest called botulism, so I play it safe and stick to the guaranteed method of preparation for optimum crispness: refrigerator pickles. As with any jarred recipe, y’all please do your reading before trying home canning, even the fridge kind; Ball has published many excellent books on the subject. Reader Jill Wolfe of Mary Esther, FL submitted her super-quick small batch fridge pickle recipe recently. I tested it at home while my sweet husband captured the process on film, and boy are these delicious. I have also included two other fridge ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e?????????????????????????$???????????e????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e??????????????????????????????????????e??????????????????????????????A??????E?????]?????????????????????????????????????????????????????!??????????????())%10?]=1?eL?Md?AMd? I??? UQQH?I%?A% -1L)%9I%9QL??5????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ????????????????? ????????????????????? ????????????????????()%I Q%=9L??5??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e????????????$???????????????????????????????????????1??????????????????????????????????????????????????U???????????????????????????????????????????????????????M????????????Q????e???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)A???????!??? ????())????]?????e?I?????????M?????? ?????5?????((0