It was a heck of a zucchini season, wasn’t it? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, don’t feel bad. For anyone who had giant leaves draping over trellises, weighing them down to the point of collapse, their two-foot-long fruit dangling above the ground, you get it. Zucchini were like weeds this summer in Montreal. And what does that mean for anyone who didn’t grow them? That if you wanted to make zucchini pickles, you had to buy three giant zucchini from Jean-Talon Market for $2, that’s what.
And that’s just what I did.
A zucchini is just a type of squash. (Just?) If you let it grow two-feet-long, it starts tasting a whole lot more squash-like. You even need to scoop out the seeds and peel the tough skin. I got the seed part right, but I didn’t peel it. Because you can’t, really, for these pickles. You need the skin so they don’t go to mush in the canner. But that makes the recipe even easier. It’s past zucchini season now, but this recipe would work with thinly sliced butternut squash, or any squash with a very thin skin. The kind that can’t take a joke. You know the ones…
Zucchini Pickles
7 cups 1/2″-thick slices of zucchini (about 2 1/2 lbs). Cut them using a kitchen mandoline if you have one. That way they’re all the same size.
2 tbsp kosher salt (non-iodized)
2 cups apple cider or distilled vinegar
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric
Sterilize 5 pint jars (or 10 half pints if you want them for gifts). Here’s the “How-to” on sterilizing and water-bath processing.
Combine all the ingredients except the zucchini slices in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Add the slices and cook for 5 minutes. Soften the jar lids in hot water.
Pack the zucchini slices without the liquid into the sterilized jars. Pour over the liquid then use a chopstick or something non-metal to poke down into the pickle and remove any sneaky air bubbles between the zucchini slices (it takes about 5-10 seconds per jar. Don’t be forever about it).
Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel. Place the softened lid on top, and screw on the rim until fingertip-tight (as tight as you can get it using only the fingertips to tighten). Place in the water-bath and bring the water back to a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Remove from heat and wait 3 minutes. Then remove jars from water. Wait for those lovely popping sounds. Any jars that leak or don’t seal go in the fridge. The others can sit pretty on cupboard shelves for up to a year or so, until opened.
Leave a Reply