In a Winter Pickle

The recent blizzard and cold temperatures have restored the
lake to fine conditions for a snowmobile highway.

Well, it is winter, again.  Snow....snow...snow and cold! Days and nights near (or below) zero! Hard to believe that a good portion of the main lake out from City Beach was open water about a month ago. Froze up beautifully for the Jack snowmobile race and the Color the Sky kite festival. 

The huge blizzard on February 23-24 brought about a foot of snow--36 hours of fifty mile per hour winds rearranged it, blowing it across the lake surface, unobstructed until it reached the South Shore.  It took about two days for the hard working city and county crews to clear the roads throughout the region. Here's a bit of the scene from our journey along South Shore Drive on March 2, 2019. 

Well, this is all dandy, but the kitchen conundrum concerns the Empty Pickle Jars!!!!

I thought I had put up enough pickles from our garden cucumbers this summer.. Clearly I was wrong.  It will be MONTHS before I have cucumbers hanging productively from the vines. A little less time until the Clear Lake Farmer's Market vendors will have some.  What's a pickle-craving family to do?  Well.... there are those lovely, long, hydroponic "English" cucumbers in the stores. Six of them fell into the cart at Fareway.  And Presto! Bingo! 5 jars of Bread & Butter Pickles are in the fridge.

Winter Bread & Butter Pickles to keep in refrigerator
adapted from the 1967 Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book 

6 long "hydroponic English-style" cucumbers -- or 8-9 regular with unwaxed peels
6-10 small sweet red, yellow, orange peppers
1/3 cup pickling salt
ice
5 cups sugar
3 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
2 tablespoons mustard seed

Thinly slice the cucumbers into disks, peel and all. Seed and slice the peppers into very, very thin strips. Put both into a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt and toss gently, Cover with cracked ice or small ice cubes. Let stand at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Drain well.  Sanitize the jars in dishwasher or wash in hot water. Wash the lids and cover with boiling water. In a large stockpot combine sugar, vinegar, turmeric, celery and mustard seeds. Bring to a simmer, stirring to assure the sugar is dissolved. Carefully add the drained cucumbers and peppers. Stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil and the cucumbers begin to turn slightly yellow.  Fill hot jars with pickles and top with juice. Let cool and store in the refrigerator.