If you are inexperienced with homemade pickles, you need to start by assembling the equipment you will need. Use glass or crockery bowls and stainless steel or enamel cookware. Do not use galvanized, copper or iron pots.
When I had 4 quarts of green tomatoes, I used a 12-quart stockpot with a lid, and a 7 quart colander to drain them. The bowl in which I let the tomatoes sit overnight was at least 7 quarts too. My yield was 10 pints so I needed 10 pint canning jars. You will need a large pan, like a roasting pan, for sterilizing the jars and keeping them hot.
I found the following instructions in a Sunset Home Canning Book:
Salt--Pure granulated salt is preferable to table salt, which can be used but contains chemicals that could cause clouding or darkening of the pickles.
Water with a high iron content may cause darkening.
Vinegar should be a good, clear, standard one, free of sediment, with 4 to 5 percent acetic acid. Do not use a homemade one, for it may not be acetic enough. Distilled white vinegar best preserves the color in foods. Cider vinegar may cause darkening of the food but may be preferred for its flavor and aroma. (Avoid long boiling of vinegar, for boiling depletes the acetic acid, which is important in the preservation of pickles.)
Sugar-- Brown sugar tends to darken the color and gives a stronger flavor. (However my recipe calls for brown sugar and that is what I have used.)
The block of time you will need extends from one afternoon or evening into the next morning.
Ingredients and procedures:
- 4 dry quarts green tomatoes
- 3 large onions
- 3 oz. salt*
The next morning drain the tomatoes/onion mixture thoroughly. Then put the mixture in a large pot (12 quart is good) and add:
- 1 quart water *
- 1 pint vinegar*
- 2 quarts vinegar
- 1 pound brown sugar*
- 2 oz. white mustard seed
- 1 tablespoonful of cloves
- 1 tablespoonful of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoonful of ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Cook 15 minutes, then seal in hot, sterile jars.
The Sunset Home Canning Book has these instructions for preparing the jars:
1) Get out canning jars, lids, and ring bands. Check jars for nicks and cracks Discard these and any rusted or bent ring bands. Place jars in boiling water for 15 minutes to sterilize. Scald jar lids in boiling water and keep very hot until time to use.
2) Heat food to boiling in a large kettle for the prescribed time in each recipe.
3) Fill one hot jar at a time to the top with boiling hot food or to within head space called for in each recipe. Wipe each jar rim clean with a damp cloth.
4) Seal each jar as filled, with a lid and ring band, screwing down the band just as tight as is comfortable.
5) Let jars cool out of a draft on a folded towel. Leave on ring bands until the jars are cool to the touch.
6) Test for a good sea] by pressing the lid with your finger. If it stays down when pressed, the jar is sealed. If any lid pops back up when pressed, the jar is not sealed. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use immediately. Store sealed jars in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.
Happy Cooking,
Ruth Ann