Blog Post: The Great Pickle Saga – How I Survived Grandma’s 2-Day Recipe

Week 5

Pickles. Simple, right? Well, that’s what I originally thought when I first attempted it a couple of years ago – (curious; read about it here.) From prepping the cucumbers to fighting off a geyser-like explosion from the canner, this pickle-making journey was full of surprises. But hey, if you’re going to pickle, you’ve got to commit—water-spraying-everywhere kind of commitment. So, follow along as I dive into my adventure with Grandma’s two-day pickle recipe. But before you go any further, get comfy and watch this quick video to get you in the pickling mood.

New Terms: Pickling Spice, Spice Bags, and Pickle Crisp Granules

Before we dive into the chaos, let’s break down some of the new terms I came across while making these pickles:

• Pickling Spice: This magical blend of spices gives your pickles their signature flavour. It usually includes things like mustard seeds, coriander, and bay leaves. Basically, it’s like a flavour bomb for your cucumbers. For this recipe, I just bought a pre-made package of pickling spice I found in the spice section of the grocery store.

• Spice Bag: Have you ever tried fishing out tiny mustard seeds from a jar of pickles? Yeah, no thanks. Enter the spice bag! It’s a little pouch (I used cheesecloth) that keeps all the pickling spices together so they can infuse the brine without turning your pickles into a chunky spice stew.

• Pickle Crisp Granules: These little wonders help keep your pickles from going limp and soggy. They add a bit of crunch to your cucumbers, making sure your pickles stay snappy. Because no one likes a floppy pickle.

Day 1: Prepping the Cucumbers – Soak ‘Em Good

The first day was all about getting the cucumbers ready for their pickle transformation. Grandma’s recipe called for soaking them in water and salt overnight. This is apparently how you toughen up your cukes and keep them crispy in the briny bath they’re about to take. So, I scrubbed the cucumbers clean, sliced them into quarters, dumped them in a giant bowl of salty water, covered and set them aside to soak like they were at a cucumber spa retreat.

Meanwhile, I patted myself on the back for starting a recipe that was spread out over two days. Surely, this meant there was plenty of time to avoid any disasters. Right?

Day 2: Brine Time and the Great Canning Splashdown

With the cucumbers chilling in their saltwater bath overnight, it was time to move on to the main event: making the brine. The brine is what turns cucumbers into pickles, so no pressure, right?

Grandma’s brine recipe was simple: water, vinegar, salt, pickling spice, and sugar—classic ingredients that let the dill and garlic really shine. The high acidity of the salt also prevents the growth of harmful bacteria (botulism). I tossed a couple of fresh dill sprigs,garlic cloves and pickle crisp into each sterilized jar, then crammed in as many cucumbers as I could fit. These babies were ready to become pickles!

But before the magic could happen, I needed to process them in the canner. Here’s where things took a turn for the dramatic. I filled up the water bath canner, maybe a little too much. Canning 101: You must have enough water to cover the tops of those jars while they boil.

Big Mistake.

As the water heated and the jars bubbled away, I noticed something strange. The canner started making some unsettling gurgling noises, followed by… a geyser of water shooting out from under the lid! (Watch here FYI turn down volume) Water was everywhere—the stove, the counters and the floor. I had accidentally created a mini kitchen waterfall.

After some panicked towel-grabbing and a few burns, there was not much left to do other than watch and let it happen. Sacrifices had to be made for the sake of the pickles. Eventually, as there was less water to boil over from the canner, I got things under control. Lesson learned: don’t overfill the canner unless you want your kitchen steam cleaned.

The Pickling Process: Wrapping It Up

Once the canner settled down and I stopped the waterworks (both literal and emotional), the jars of cucumbers were safely sealed. The process itself—aside from the Great Splashdown of 2024—was pretty straightforward. The cucumbers, now soaking in brine with garlic and dill until they are ready to be opened at Christmas, had been transformed into something that hopefully will taste as good as grandma’s.

Most importantly, the jars started making those satisfying little “ping” noises as they cooled and sealed, giving me some hope that this whole water-soaked adventure hadn’t been a total mess.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned (And More Jars Needed)

So, what did I learn from my second pickling experience? First off, don’t overfill your canner unless you’re looking for a free kitchen car wash. Second, grandma’s recipes are golden, even if they do come with some unexpected challenges. And third, I’m going to need more jars.

Next week, I plan to hunt down some new jars and level up my pickling game with some pickled carrots. Stay tuned for what’s sure to be another entertaining episode in my preserving saga—hopefully, with less water involved this time. Until then, I’ll be enjoying my (non-soggy) pickles and my freshly washed kitchen floors! And as always, I am open for suggestions of what you would like to see more of (or maybe less). Take care and stay dry!