Pickles, glorious pickles

Remember when I bought all those canning books? You were probably thinking, "There's no way in hell Celia will use all of them. No. Way."

Garlic scape refrigerator pickles

Well, you're wrong.  I used every single one of them, and the season's not even over yet. I have reviews in the works for each book, but suffice it to say I have a pantry full of delicious goodies--most of them without a lick of sugar or sweetener. (I can't say "all" with any shred of honesty, since I've used honey in fruit preserves and made a couple of jams with organic cane sugar for gifts.) Friends, this has been the year of the pickle. And the tomato, I guess, but pickles are so much more interesting than quarts of crushed "Bobs."

Over the past few months I've become fairly comfortable with fruit preserves and high acid foods, learning what I can and cannot tweak in a recipe--and making refrigerator or freezer preserves if I have any question of pH safety.  It's been a blast, and we still have a few weeks of summer goodies to go. So, without further ado, here's an updated list of my preserving projects of 2011. Book reviews to come sometime this fall, after I catch up with a couple of other reviews I have in the works (including Bryanna Clark Grogan's new book, about which I am extremely excited):

Basil-chili eggplant from Tart and Sweet

• Curried carrot coins (from Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes for the Modern Kitchen)
• Hot cumin-pickled summer squash (from Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry)
• Basil-chili eggplant (from Tart and Sweet)
• Pickled beets with cumin and cloves (from Put 'em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling)
• Garlic scape refrigerator pickles
• Sushi ginger (from Canning for a New Generation)
• Homemade sauerkraut (instructions in Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods)
• Whole jalapeños with honey and allspice (from Canning for a New Generation)
• Sliced jalapeño refrigerator pickles
• Roasted red peppers in lemon juice (from Canning for a New Generation)
• Marinated red onions
• Cucumber pickles with lemon (from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Recipes to Use Year-Round)
• Szechuan green beans (from Put 'em Up!)
• Spicy okra refrigerator pickles

Jalapeños with honey and allspice from Canning for a New Generation

How about you?  Have you done any pickling this summer? Did you use your own recipe, or one from your favorite book of preserves? Spill!  (I'm always looking for new ideas.)

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Remember to stay tuned this week for a giveaway celebrating the new site. It may or may not have something to do with books...