Saskatchewan Farm Pickles

Chris Burkart, e-mail message to Michael Miller.

This pickle recipe had a name when I was a child, but I don't remember what it was. Bread and Butter Pickles sticks in mind, however I have seen a recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles and this isn't it. The turmeric spice used is another one of those strange spices one wouldn't think my mother would have used, however, it represents to me the epitome of prairie pickles.

3 quarts bread and butter pickles
1 quart small onions (to peel, put onions in a bowl with boiling water and let sit for 5 minutes)
1/2 cup pickling salt dissolved in water

Wash the cucumbers and peel the onions. Put cucumbers, onions and salt in a large pot (or the sink) overnight. In the morning drain and rinse cucumbers and onions with cold water. Slice the cucumbers thinly. Sterilize clean jars and lids.

Brine

1 quart vinegar
6 cups sugar
2 teaspoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon celery seed

Mix vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, turmeric and celery seed in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and simmer 5 minutes. Put in hot sterilized jars and seal immediately.

Mom was always open to trying new recipes, so this one may have found it's way into our larder via a Canadian friend, but it has been around since I was a child.

Someone spoke about pickled pigs' feet. Mom also used to pickle the pike fish Dad caught in Long Lake in Saskatchewan. Mom used to call it (phonetic spelling) 'go-la-detz'.