Preserving Summer's Harvest: learning to pickle, can, and more

Your winter self will thank you.

​This is the time of year that our gardens are bursting with fresh produce as tomatoes fill bowls, berries fall off the bushes, apples hang from trees, while cucumber and squash dangle from tendrils and vines. Or maybe a really amazing CSA box just arrived at your door. As the different harvests come and go, we don't always have time to utilize the lovely harvest--which makes it so cost effective, not to mention delicious, to can, pickle, or dry some of your goods to store for the long winter. Like a granny or a squirrel. This Sunday Minnesota History Center, Fabulous Catering, and Gastro Non Grata co-host Preserving Summer's Harvest, a DIY class that will teach you how to preserve your fresh goods. You will also learn the history of food preservation techniques that exploded during the Great Depression and WWII.

Preserving Summer's Bounty
When: Sunday, August 8, 3pm - 5pm
Where: Fabulous Catering, 2900 13th Ave S., Minneapolis
Price: $20 ($15 for MHS members)
For more information or to buy tickets: See the MHS website or call 651.259.3015

If you can't make it this Sunday, here is a kosher-style dill pickle recipe we'd like to share:

Dill pickles

8 pounds 3 to 4 inch long pickling cucumbers
4 cups white vinegar
12 cups water
2/3 cup pickling salt
16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
8 heads fresh dill weed

Directions

1.Wash cucumbers and place in the sink with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required. Sterilize 8 (1 quart) canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.

2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the brine to a rapid boil.

3. In each jar, place 2 half-cloves of garlic, one head of dill, then enough cucumbers to fill the jar (about 1 pound). Then add 2 more garlic halves, and 1 sprig of dill. Fill jars with hot brine. Seal jars, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue.

4. Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath. Process quart jars for 15 minutes.

5. Store pickles for a minimum of 8 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place.

Recipe by Sharon Howard at allrecipes.com