#3503 - Pickled Celery

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 TBSP pickling spice
2 tsp. salt
1 TBSP white sugar
a dash of pepper
celery slices

Slice celery into 1/4" thick slices, then cram as many of them as possible into a glass jar. In a saucepan over medium heat add water, white vinegar, pickling spice, salt, white sugar and pepper--cook/stir until mixture is hot and the salt and white sugar have dissolved. Carefully pour the hot mixture over the celery. If all of the hot mixture has been poured but celery is not completely covered, add enough water until all celery is covered. Cool to room temperature, place the lid on the jar and refrigerate overnight.

#2749 - White Pickled Eggs

(by Shirley McNevich)

12 hard boiled eggs
4 cups white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 large onion (chopped)
1/3 cup white sugar
1 TBSP pickling spice

Peel the hard boiled eggs, rinse them with water to remove any leftover shells and place them all in a 1 gallon glass jar--set aside. In a saucepan add white vinegar, salt, chopped onions, white sugar and pickling spice--cook/stir over medium heat until boiling. Once boiling, cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat--pour the juice mixture slowly over the eggs. If all of the eggs are not covered with juice, add enough water so all of them are covered. Place the lid on the glass jar--shake gently to mix the water into the juice and then let them sit on the counter for 24 hours. Place the jar in the refrigerator and keep cold.

#2641 - Dill Sweet Pickles

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 - 32oz. jars whole dill pickles
2 cups white sugar
Juice: 2 cups white sugar; 1/2 cup white vinegar; 1/2 cup water; 1 TBSP pickling spice

Drain both jars of pickles, then slice the pickles into coin shaped pieces. Place the pickle pieces in a large bowl. Sprinkle 2 cups of sugar all over the pickle pieces, then stir to mix. Cover the bowl and let them sit on the counter overnight. The next day in a saucepan over medium heat add white vinegar, water, pickling spice and 2 cups white sugar--stir/cook until boiling. Once boiling remove from heat and pour the boiling mixture over the pickles. Cover and let the pickles sit on the counter overnight. The next day, uncover the bowl, stir, and place pickles/juice in glass jars and store them in the refrigerator.

#2484 - Homemade Ketchup

(by Shirley McNevich)

(use this ketchup in baked beans, sloppy joes, bbq sauce, pasta sauce, etc.)

4 quarts tomato juice (explained below)
1 peck of ripe tomatoes
2 heaping cups white sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 TBSP pickling spices
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 TBSP salt
4 1/2 TBSP cornstarch

Wash the tomatoes in cold water and put them in a large pot. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes until all of the tomatoes are covered. Once covered, let the tomatoes stand for 5 minutes. Pour the water off of the tomatoes. Cover the tomatoes with cold water. Remove one tomato at a time, core the tomato, remove the skin, cut the tomato into quarters and place the tomato quarters into a Dutch oven. Repeat with all tomatoes. Place the Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat--cook uncovered for 20 minutes until tomatoes are soft and falling apart--stir occasionally. Place some of the tomato mixture into a Foley food mill or a strainer in order to remove the seeds. Repeat with all tomato mixture. Place a separate container underneath to catch the tomato mixture--the food mill will catch the seeds. Discard the seeds. Place the tomato juice mixture into a large granite pot--it should make at least 4 quarts of tomato juice. Add the white sugar, pickling spices, vinegar, dry mustard and salt--put the granite pot on the stove over medium heat. Stir/bring to a boil, then boil the mixture for 2 hours (stirring occasionally). In a small bowl add the cornstarch--using a ladle, dip one ladle of the tomato mixture into the cornstarch--stir until mixed. Add the cornstarch mixture to the tomato mixture--stir until mixed, then cook/stir until boiling again. Once boiling, cook/stir for 5 minutes. Use canning jars/lids to preserve the ketchup.

#619 - Sweet and Sour Pickles

(by Violet [Bailey] Heimbach - friend)

1 jar of your favorite dill pickles (large size)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. whole pickling spice

Open the jar of pickles and drain off the juice--discard the juice but leave pickles in the jar. In a saucepan add white sugar, vinegar, water--turn heat on high and bring to a boil. Add the pickling spice to the pickles, then pour hot vinegar mixture in with the pickles. Leave lid off until the pickles and juice have cooled. Once cool, put the lid on the jar and place it in the refrigerator. Let the pickles sit in the refrigerator at least 2 days before eating. Keep refrigerated.