I’m heavily into cucumbers now, since “JustaDumbBlonde” mailed me a jar of her B&B pickles and then the recipe.
I give them away to fellow church members, keeping a generous amount for myself. Last year, I gave away about 60 quarts. They are a big hit!
When I give them away, I always ask for my jars back, most bring them back, some don’t. It’s the jars that are expensive.
You're not kidding there! Since I started ordering my turmeric and mustard seeds in bulk from Penzey's, the cost of making pickles has dropped considerably. If you haven't tried them with some spicy brown mustard seeds, you ought to ... they are great!
Last year I sliced the cucumbers with the crinkle cut blade on my mandoline, and the pickles were even better than usual.
I got most of my canning jars at auctions (or hub did) and also at thrift stores. Also made friends a few years ago with an old lady (really old!) and she wound up giving me a bunch of jars. Many are quite old, much thicker glass.
Now I need pickling cukes, just found a jar I’d made 3 years ago and still perfectly good. I use brine only, no vinegar, with fresh dill and a garlic clove and brown mustard seeds.
Ok, I need the recipe!