Started me 12 vacation doing a few things I like to do with Carter then something that I have never done, made pickles. First, Carter and I headed off to the Tacoma Farmers Market that is held on Thursdays in the downtown business area. I have been saying forever; well at least for the last year, that I wanted to go to this but always seem to forget. I think mainly because it is held on a Thursday and I am usually at work and forget to go afterwards on my way home. So with not alot on the schedule for the day, we were off.
I have to say that it was very nice for a middle of the week market. Alot of food vendors mainly because they feed all the corporate workers during their lunch hour but otherwise pretty good. We will definitely go back. Next we were off to Owen Beach for a little relaxation time. Not much of a real beach but it does sit on the Pugent Sound so it is "real" water that heads out to sea, so it will do for now. Just enough time there to make me want to drive to the real beach.
On the way home, we decided to stop at Duris Cucumber farm and look around at all the pickle makings and produce. I love going here just to shop the cute farm stand, really more like a cute boutique but outside with produce and stuff. It did not take long for us to start putting the makings for pickles in my basket; not what I intended to do at all but I got caught up in the moment! You could say I was lead by peer pressure, everyone was doing it, loading cucumbers in their baskets, spices, vinegar, jars you name it. Not before long you could say I was stocked up on everything I would need to produce a few jars of kosher and bread & butter pickles.
Once home I started slicing into spears for the kosher pickles. I loved the smell of the fresh cut cucumbers and the vinegar mixture coming to a boil, it was already starting to smell like pickles in the house!
After jarring up the kosher pickles I was then on to making the bread and butter pickles, basically the same process just a different cut and lovely smell coming from my stockpot.
Not sure that I got the canning part down just right but being the first time of doing it, I didn't think it was too bad. I probably could have stuffed a few more pickle slices in the jars but didn't want to go overboard.
Now the waiting begins, 3 weeks to let them cure then the real test will begin. The taste test. I am hoping that they turn out good enough that my family will want more. Then, I will go and buy more supplies and maybe even branch out a little bit more by making more jars, and experimenting with other flavors. So we will wait and see.
