Now that squash season is almost finished.....

We have a sweet neighbor, Karen, who shared some of her garden vegetables with us this week.  She also sent us two jars of pickled squash that she'd canned. 

I'm not a big fan of relishes, chutneys and pickled things so I hesitated to sample the pickled squash.  When I did, I knew I had to make some jars for us to enjoy this winter.  Now that squash season is almost finished, it was hard to find good yellow squash at the local grocer's to make these.

These resemble a bread and butter pickle, sort of vinegary and sweet.  The recipe came from a Better Homes and Gardens canning booklet.

So-Sweet Squash Pickles

3 small yellow squash, cut into ½” thick slices
   (about 3 cups)

½ cup coarsely chopped onion
1 large bell pepper cut into strips
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1 cup sugar
¾ cup white vinegar
¾ teaspoon mustard seeds
¾ teaspoon celery seeds
¼ teaspoon dry mustard

Combine squash, onion and pepper in a large bowl.
Sprinkle with the salt, stir gently to combine. Cover
and chill for 1 hour: drain well.

In a 3 quart saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, mustard
seeds , celery seeds and dry mustard.  Bring to a boil, stir
until sugar dissolves.  Add squash mixture. Return to a
boil. Remove from heat.

Ladle hot vegtables and liquid into sterilized pint jars.
Cool for 30 minutes.  Seal and label.

Chill for at least 24 hours before serving. Store in the
refrigerator for up to one month. 

I sliced my squash with a mandolin slicer, then measured
it.  Wound up with 15 cups of squash, sliced 4 large onions,
and 4 bell peppers to make 7 pints.  Multiplied the amount of
spices, vinegar, etc times 5.

I sterilized my jars and flat lids and sealed them while the vegetables were

hot so that they are canned and do not require refrigeration since I made 

five times the recipe.

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The second jar she gave us was a slightly different recipe and had jalapeno peppers mixed in.  Not enough to make the pickles too hot to eat, just enough to add the pepper flavor.  I started with 4 pounds of yellow squash and added 5 sliced jalapenos to the hot vegetables as I packed the jars. 

I multiplied the ingredients x 2 and wound up with a lot of the vinegar mixture left over.  Now, guess I need to hit the farmer's market and see if I can find more squash!


SQUASH PICKLES  (recipe from Elaine Nelson)

2 lb fresh squash yellow or zucchini  
2 or more onions
1/4 c. salt   
2 c white sugar
1 tsp. celery seeds  
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp mustard seeds   
3 c. cider vinegar

Wash and cut thin squash and onions.  Mix onions with squash and cover with water  add  salt and let stand for 2 hours and then drain.

Bring all other ingredients to a boil. and heat 5 minutes.

Pack squash and onions in jars and leave 1/2" space from top  of jar.

Pack firmly.. Fill jars. Wipe jar  rim and place on jar lids and screw down.
Cook in an open kettle bath for 15 minutes(boiling water bath)

Let set for a few days before opening.....