Zucchini Pickles. 7.16.2021

 These are from Costata Romanesco zucchini, an old Italian heirloom variety.  They are bearing like crazy.  I have to check every morning so I catch them at a relatively small (9") size.  

First, I tried a cold pack method, using a packaged Bread and Butter pickle brine and spice product.  I had to calculate lower sizes, but I think I got it right.  Unfortunately, during the canning process, the slices shrunk and floated, so the bottom half of the jars is just pickle juice, mainly vinegar.  Since these are vinegar and brine, I think they will keep, but they are not how I wanted them.

So I decided to use a hot pack method, which pre-cooks the pickles so they do all their shrinking and lose their air before packing.  I followed the USDA canning method as exactly as I could.  I did have to make a half recipe due to my canner size.  I also added very thin slices of my fresh harvested Music garlic, sliced on mandolin. 

These are presoaked in brine before cooking them, then heated to a boil in vinegar/sugar/spices which are mustard seeds, celery seed, and tumeric.  The yellow slices are from one yellow zucchini that I harvested yesterday.

Then they are portioned into jars and carefully canned per the USDA instructions.

These portioned out almost exactly. I did have to boil 1/4 cup of vinegar to top off the last jar, which I will use up first. I tasted two pickle slices before canning. They had excellent flavor and texture. I imagine they will be softer after canning, which I will find out when I open the first jar.