Pickles and Salsa
Two gallons of pickles, and barely made a dent.
So far this year, we have been almost entirely overrun by cucumbers. Obviously, it was time to make pickles. But even with over two gallons worth of pickles, it wasn’t enough to use what we were bringing in from the garden.
Luckily a friend sent a recipe for Cucumber Salsa!
Lots of chopping, but well worth the effort!
While I didn’t exactly use the recipe as written, I did use it as a jumping off point to use up a bunch of cucumbers and fit our own tastes. And, while this recipe can be waterbath canned* to make it shelf stable, I chose to make them as if they were fridge pickles to maintain the crunch. This means that we will have to eat a lot of salsa before it goes bad in the fridge, but it will be deliciously crunchy and refreshing.
Cucumber Salsa
This recipe makes approximately 6 pints.
6 Cups Cucumbers, finely diced
1 Cup Onion, finely diced
6 medium Tomatoes, diced (make sure to retain all the juice and seeds)
4 large Anaheim Peppers, diced (can use other peppers to increase the spiciness)
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 bunch of Cilantro, chopped fine (can use parsley instead if you don’t like cilantro)
2 tablespoons Ground Cumin
3 teaspoons Salt (you may add more to taste if needed)
2 teaspoons Pepper (to taste)
1/2 Cup Vinegar (Both Apple Cider Vinegar and Distilled White Vinegar yield good results)
***4 Cups of a 50/50 Mixture of water and vinegar set aside***
In a large bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients EXCEPT vinegar/water mixture (denoted with “***”). Add salsa to jars and fill to 1/2” headspace with the vinegar/water mixture. Put on the lids and store in the refrigerator. For best results, let it sit for 24 hours before using as the flavors meld and intensifies in the fridge.
This salsa is so delicious with just some tortilla chips, or it can be used as a base to make a batch of cowboy caviar, or even a taco salad.
*NOTE: Because I drastically changed the recipe from what was given to me, I do not know safe/proper/tested waterbath canning times and am actively not recommending it. While I tend to be a rebel canner and am very comfortable canning things using my own best judgement in my own kitchen, I recommend researching proper/safe/tested canning recipes and techniques for your own kitchen and family.
