Market Recipe: Sheena’s Spicy Pickles

Market Recipe: Spicy Pickles

By Sheena Moore of  Sheena’s Pickles

Prep time: 10 minutes. Processing Time: 10 minutes. Water Bath Time: 10 minutes. Yields about 4 pints.

Pickling Cucumbers (do not use salad cucumbers)
Jalapeños and/or Serrano and/or Habanero peppers
Pepper flakes
¼ cup of pickling salt
4 cups of water
4 cups vinegar

1.  Wash pickling cucumbers and remove the ends. *Note: The ends of cucumbers contain enzymes that can cause the cucumber to go soft. Remove at least 1/16th of an inch from the ends. Cut cucumbers in rounds or spears.
2. Cut cucumbers in rounds or spears and set aside in large bowl. 
3. Using gloves, cut peppers into thin slices or rounds. Add and mix peppers in bowl with cucumbers.  Set bowl aside.
4. Start your water bath by placing jars in a pot and cover jars with water. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes turn temperate down to a simmer.
5. In a separate pot, make you brine. Heat vinegar, pickling salt, over medium heat. Start off with ½ teaspoon of pepper flakes. If you want it hotter, taste, and add more as need. Brine is ready once pickling salt has dissolved.
6. Fill jars with cucumber rounds or spears. Ladle brine over cucumbers using a funnel. Leave ¼ inch head-space.
7. Remove air bubbles from the jars by running a plastic bubble remover and head-space tool into the side of the jar to release bubbles. Chopsticks will also work. Do not use any metal knives to remove the air bubbles.
8. Heat lids in hot water to warm up the seal. Do not boil the lids. Simmer lids for 10 minutes. Wipe lid of jars and place lids on top and tighten with ring.
9. Place jars in boiling water with at least 2 inches of water covering the lids and process for 10 minutes.
10. Remove jars from water and cool on counter-top under a clean tea towel.