Pickled Vegetables With Tarragon - Recipe for Open Kettle Canning Aficionados
Explore a world of creative flavors with tarragon pickles and tarragon pickled vegetables. This pickling recipe combines cucumbers with other veggies for a unique twist. Additionally, this tarragon pickles and pickled vegetables recipe was specifically designed for open kettle canning, frequently referred to as old fashioned canning technique.
Servings: 2 x 1-liter (32 oz.) + 1 half-liter (16 oz.) Mason jars
Equipment
- large pot
- potholders, oven mitts, trivets for hot dishes
- spoon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Pickling Cucumbers (approximately 1 kg)
- 1 lb Zucchini, marrow, pattypan or summer squash (approximately 0.5 kg)
- 4.5 tbsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 4 tbsp. 7% pickling vinegar
- 5 small or 3 large cloves of Garlic
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 tarragon sprigs
- 10 whole Timut pepper or whole black peppercorns
- 1 Horseradish root 8 slices, about ½ -inch each
- 9 cups water (approximately 2.5 L)
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables:
- Begin by washing the cucumbers, then soak them in cold water for 2 to 5 hours. After draining, trim the ends of the cucumbers.
- Wash and slice the onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide rounds.
- If you are using other vegetables, slice them into 1-inch wide rounds or cut them into halves or quarters as necessary to ensure they fit into the mouth of the jar.
- Slice the garlic into thin pieces.
- Slice horseradish root into pieces, about ½ -inch each.
Prepare the Jars:
- Ensure that the jars are cleaned with soapy water and sterilized following the method described in our post Learn how to prepare mason jars and lids for canning.
Pack the Jars:
- Once the jars are sterilized and cooled, start by placing garlic, pepper, tarragon, and horseradish root at the bottom of the jars. Divide the sliced garlic and horseradish, peppercorns, and tarragon equally between the jars, using less for smaller jars.
- Pack the cucumbers and other vegetables tightly into the jars, adding slices of yellow onion in between. The goal is to minimize empty space. If necessary, cut the cucumbers into halves or quarters.
Pour Hot Water Over Vegetables:
- In a pot large enough for the measured water, bring it to a rolling boil and let it boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and immediately pour the hot water into the jars containing the vegetables. It's best to do this while keeping the jars in a kitchen sink.
- Let the vegetables sit in hot water for 10 minutes. Do not discard any hot water you may have left in the pot.
- Carefully pour the water back into the pot, ensuring you don't scald yourself. Take care not to let the vegetables slip out of the jars while pouring the water back into the pot.
- Reheat the water in the pot until it boils again.
- Repeat the step #2: Gently pour the hot water into the jars once more, and let them sit for an additional 10 minutes.
Prepare the Pickling Brine:
- Pour the water from the jars back into the pot, and add the measured salt and sugar.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, continuing to boil until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved (approximately 5 minutes).
- Just before turning off the heat, add the pickling vinegar to finish creating your pickling marinade or brine.
Sterilize Jar Lids:
- As you're preparing the brine, bring a smaller pot of water to a boil to sterilize the lids as per below. Remember not to let the lids boil; turn off the heat just before placing them in the hot water.
Final Steps:
- Carefully pour the hot brine into the jars containing the vegetables.
- Swiftly cover the jars with the lids and firmly secure the lid bands. Ensure the lids are tightly sealed until you can no longer move the bands.
- Turn the jars upside down and tightly wrap them in warm towels (use 2-3 beach towels for three large jars).
- Leave the jars upside down, snugly wrapped in towels, for 2 days or until they're completely cool to the touch.
- Congratulations, your jars are now ready for your pantry!