#3814 - Frozen Cucumbers and Onions

(by Shirley McNevich)

4lbs. cucumbers
8 cups sliced onions
1/4 cup salt
3/4 cup water
4 cups white sugar
2 cups cider vinegar

Wash and slice the cucumbers. Place HALF of the sliced cucumbers into a large bowl, and the other half in a second large bowl. Place HALF of the sliced onions into each bowl with the sliced cucumbers. Pour HALF of the water into each bowl over the onions. Sprinkle HALF of the salt over the onions in each bowl. Cover each bowl with a tea towel and let them sit for 2 hours--do NOT drain. Add HALF of the white sugar and HALF of the cider vinegar to each bowl--stir the mixture in each bowl until the white sugar is dissolved. Taste the juice--if too sweet add more cider vinegar to each bowl and stir again. If too sour add more white sugar to each bowl and stir again. Divide both bowls of cucumber mixture into 2 cup size plastic containers with lids (leave a little empty space at the top of each container to allow for expansion during freezing). Place the lids on the containers and freeze them. After frozen, place one container in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and they will be ready to eat. Repeat when needed.

#3554 - Sour Cucumber Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 large cucumber
1 tsp. salt
2 TBSP white sugar
white vinegar
water
fresh ground black pepper

Peel the cucumber, then use a box grater to slice it into thin slices. Place the cucumber slices in a bowl and sprinkle the salt all over the top. Let the cucumbers stand for 30 minutes, then drain off any liquid. Sprinkle the white sugar over the cucumber slices--stir to mix. Add just enough white vinegar so cucumber are moistened--stir well. Grind some black pepper over the top, then let the cucumbers sit for a few minutes before stirring and serving. Optional: if you don't like such a strong vinegar flavor, when adding the vinegar add half vinegar and half water instead of all vinegar.

#3459 - Cucumbers and Tomatoes

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 ripe tomato
1 cucumber
4 tsp. olive oil (more if you wish)
4 tsp. apple cider vinegar (more if you wish)
oregano (to your taste)
1/2 tsp. salt

Wash the tomato, slice it, then cut each slice into 4 quarters. Wash and peel the cucumber, then slice it thin. In a bowl add the tomato pieces, cucumber slices, olive oil, cider vinegar, salt and oregano--toss to coat. Add more olive oil and cider vinegar if necessary, then toss again. Serve immediately. Recipe may be doubled.

#3416 - Microwave Pickles and Onions

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cucumber
1 large onion
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. mustard seed

Wash the cucumber and cut it into thin slices. Wash and peel the onion, then slice thinly and separate into rings. In a bowl add white sugar, white vinegar, salt, celery seed and mustard seed--stir to mix. In a microwave safe bowl add the cucumber slices and onions--pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumber mixture and stir to coat. Place the bowl in the microwave--microwave on high for 3 minutes, then stir the mixture. Microwave on high for 3 more minutes or until cucumber slices are tender but still crisp. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold.

#2902 - Cucumber Lettuce Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 medium cucumbers (washed, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces)
1 small head of lettuce (washed and torn into bite sized pieces)
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup Breakstone's sour cream
2 tsp. cider vinegar
white sugar to your taste
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl add cucumber pieces and lettuce pieces--toss to mix. In a separate bowl add mayo, sour cream, cider vinegar and salt--stir to mix. Taste--if too sour add 1 tsp. white sugar at a time, then re-stir and taste again. Refrigerate the lettuce mixture and the mayo mixture until cold. When ready to serve, remove bowls from refrigerator, pour mayo mixture and chopped onions over lettuce mixture--toss well.

#2888 - Sour Cream Cucumber Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 medium cucumbers (washed, peeled and thinly sliced)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 TBSP white vinegar
a dash of pepper
1/4 cup Breakstone's sour cream (regular OR lite)
white sugar if necessary

In a bowl add cucumber slices, chopped onions and sprinkle the salt over them--stir well. Let them stand for 15 minutes, then drain off any accumulated liquid. Add white vinegar and pepper--stir well. Just before serving add sour cream--stir well. Taste--if not sweet enough add 1 TBSP white sugar at a time and stir again until sweetened to your taste.

#2886 - Vinegar Cucumber Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 medium cucumbers (washed, peeled and sliced thin)
1 tsp. salt
1 small onion (washed, peeled and sliced thin and separated)
4 heaping TBSP white sugar
4 TBSP cider vinegar
water

In a bowl add cucumber slices and onion pieces--sprinkle the salt over the top, then toss well. Let them stand for 15 minutes, then drain off the liquid that forms. To the drained mixture add white sugar and cider vinegar--stir well. Add just enough cold water so that the cucumbers and onions are covered, then stir again. Taste the liquid--if too sour add a little more white sugar and stir again. If too sweet add a little more cider vinegar and stir again.

#2580 - Creamy Cucumber Dressing

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cucumbers (washed, peeled and sliced thin)
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp. salt
1 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP white sugar

In a bowl add sliced cucumbers--sprinkle the salt over the cucumber slices, then stir to mix. Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator and uncover--drain off any liquid. In a separate bowl add cream, cider vinegar and white sugar--stir to mix. Pour the cream mixture over the drained cucumber slices--toss to coat. Refrigerate until cold.

#2530 - Onion Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 small container of cherry tomatoes
1 large onion
2 cucumbers
2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley
2 TBSP cider vinegar
2 TBSP olive oil
dash of salt
black pepper

Wash the cherry tomatoes, then slice each cherry tomato in half. Place halved cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Peel the onion and slice it in half--only use 1/2 of the onion. Slice one onion half into thin slices, then separate the rings and add them to the tomatoes. Peel the cucumbers, then slice them thinly and add them to the tomatoes. Add cider vinegar, chopped parsley and a dash of salt to the tomatoes--toss the mixture until coated. When serving in salad bowls, top each salad with some fresh ground black pepper. If you want more liquid in the salad, double the cider vinegar and olive oil.

#1405 - Refrigerator Pickles

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 gallon glass jar with lid (NOT plastic)
small fresh pickles OR cucumber slices (enough to fill jar--do not peel--wash first)
1 quart cider vinegar
1 quart water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup powdered horseradish
1/2 cup powdered mustard

In a large pot add cider vinegar, water, white sugar, salt, powdered horseradish and powdered mustard--stir until mixed and powders have dissolved. Fill the glass jar with pickles or cucumbers to within 1/2" of the top of the jar. Pour the vinegar mix slowly over the pickles/cucumbers in the jar. Put the lid on tightly and refrigerate 4 days before eating.

#632 - Chow Chow

(by Shirley McNevich)

(besides the vegetables listed, you can add any other vegetables EXCEPT corn--corn will make it spoil)
2 medium chopped onions
3 green tomatoes (cut into bite sized pieces)
3 tomatoes that are just starting to ripen (cut into bite sized pieces)
2 chopped green peppers
1 chopped red pepper
1 head of cauliflower (OR 1 - 16oz. bag frozen cauliflower)
1 small head of cabbage (cut into bite sized pieces)
3 large cucumbers cut into bite sized pieces (DO NOT peel them)
4 chopped ribs of celery
1 - 9oz. package frozen lima beans
1 - 16oz. package fresh or frozen baby carrots
1 - 40oz. can kidney beans (drained)
1 - 40oz. can great northern beans
1 pint cider vinegar
5 cups white sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. mustard seed
5 cups water
salt

Get a 12 quart pot or canner--sit it on the counter for use later.

Bowl 1 - add chopped onions with 1/2 tsp. salt, stir and set aside.

Bowl 2 - add chopped green tomatoes and chopped tomatoes starting to ripen with 1 tsp. salt, stir and set aside.

Bowl 3 - add chopped green and red peppers with 1 tsp. salt, stir and set aside.

Bowl 4 - add chopped cabbage and 1 tsp. salt, stir and set aside.

Bowl 5 - add cucumbers with 1 tsp. salt, stir and set aside.

In a saucepan, cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces--cover with water and add 1 tsp. salt. Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil--boil for 3 minutes, then drain water off and dump cauliflower into the large pot/canner.

In the saucepan add the baby carrots--cover with water and add 1 tsp. salt. Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil--boil for 7 minutes, then drain water off and dump baby carrots in the canner with the cauliflower.

In the saucepan add the lima beans--cover with water and add 1 tsp. salt. Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil--boil for 10 minutes, then drain water off and dump lima beans in the canner with the cauliflower/carrots.

Chop the 4 ribs of celery and add to the cauliflower/carrots/lima beans.

Dump the drained kidney beans and drained great northern beans in with the cauliflower/carrots/lima beans/celery.

In the 5 bowls that you prepared and set aside, hold each over the sink, use your hand to catch the contents, and drain the saltwater off. Once you've done this to each of the 5 bowls, dump the contents of each of the 5 bowls into the large pot/canner. Pour the cider vinegar, white sugar, celery seed, and mustard seed in the pot on top of the other ingredients. Finally, pour 5 cups of water into the large pot/canner. Use your hand to stir up everything until mixed--do NOT use a spoon or it will pull the beans apart.

Place large pot/canner on the stove over medium heat--cook and stir until hot but not boiling. Once hot, taste the juice--if too sour add more sugar, if too sweet add more vinegar. Wash your canning jars, place them right side up on the bottom rack of your oven, set oven to 200 degrees. Place the center part of your canning lids (not the rings) in a saucepan on the stove with water--heat until boiling, then turn heat back to low. Take 1 jar out as a time and pack it with chow chow and fill within 1/4" of the top of the jar. Use a soup ladle and cover the the top of the chow chow with chow chow juice. Use a tableknife and shove it down the sides of the jar 4 times around to get the bubbles out. Use a dishrag to wipe any juice off of the top of the jar. Use a fork to get a canning lid from the boiling water--place it on top of the chow chow jar. Place the canning ring on top--tighten lid as tight as you can. Repeat until all chow chow is gone. Set finished jars on a heat proof surface. The lids will pop after a few hours. If there are any jars that have lids that have centers that didn't go down (and are still raised), use them first. Chow chow will keep for about 2 years. Makes about 16 pints.

#133 - Bread and Butter Pickles

(by Grace Pennypacker - friend)

8 cups thickly sliced unpeeled cucumbers (washed)
2 cups thickly sliced onions
4 tsp. salt
2 cups cider vinegar
3 cups white sugar
2 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. mustard seed

Use a large stainless steel pot or a large glass bowl. Add cucumbers and sliced onions. Add 2 tsp. salt over the top and cover everything with cold water. Let stand for 1 hour in the saltwater. Drain off the water. In a saucepan, add the vinegar, sugar, celery seed, 2 tsp. salt and the mustard seed. Stir over medium heat and bring it to a boil. In a large cookpot (5-6 quarts), add the cucumbers and onions, and pour the heated vinegar mixture over the top. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring with a spoon. Put pint jars in the oven on the racks and set temp. to 200 degrees. Take the jar lids and rings and cover them with water in a saucepan--bring them to a boil. Put cucumbers/onions/juice in each jar until you run out of the mixture. Take a tableknife and insert it all around the sides and middle of the jars to get the air bubbles out. Put the ring and center piece on each jar and turn tightly. Put the jars on a surface that can safely stand heat. Let them cool and as they cool they will seal themselves. If the jars seal properly, they will last about 2 years. Once you open a jar, refrigerate it.