Make your own pickled cucumbers using lemon juice instead of vinegar.
Pickled cucumbers are a favorite addition to burgers and sandwiches, add a bit of zest in salads and are great with crackers and cheese. Most commercially made pickles use vinegar as the acid for pickling, but delicious pickles can also be made using lemon juice instead. So if you have a dietary problem with vinegar, or just want to try something new, cucumbers pickled in lemon juice are a definite must-try.
Instructions
1. Wash the 4 quart-sized canning jars with hot soapy water. Rinse thoroughly, then leave to dry.
2. Scrub 5 lbs. of pickling cucumbers (approximately 3 to 4 inches long) with a nylon scourer.
3. Place 2 fresh grape leaves and 2 small, fresh dill heads in the bottom of each canning jar. Pack in the pickling cucumbers upright, as well as 1 clove of garlic in each jar.
4. Cover the cucumbers with 1 tbsp. of pickling salt per jar, then another 2 grape leaves and 2 heads of dill.
5. Put 6 cups of water on the stove with 4 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder. Bring to the boil.
6. Fill the water-bath canner with water to about an inch higher than the height of the canning jars. Bring the water to a boil.
7. Simmer the lemon-juice mixture for a minute on the stove, then pour the mixture into the 4 canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
8. Dip the lids in the boiling water of the canner, then place them onto the canning jars. Place the jars on the canning-bath rack, and slowly lower them into the canning bath.
9. Leave the jars in the bath until the water comes to the boil again (it will stop boiling when the jars are added). Remove the jars from the canning bath, and leave aside to cool.
10. Press down on the tops of the jars when they are cool to check if a seal has been created. The jars with seals will not pop when you press on them. Store for 5 to 6 weeks in a cool, dark place before consuming. Keep refrigerated once opened.
Tags: canning jars, lemon juice, canning bath, grape leaves, into canning, jars with, juice instead