Whenever I see fresh cucumbers in the summer, all I can think about are fresh homemade pickles! They taste so much better than store-bought pickles, and are not hard at all to make.

As a child, one of my favorite places to be was my neighbor Ann’s house. Ann was like another mother to me. She taught me how to cook, how to fish, how to cross stitch, how to drive, and how to make the best dill pickles in the world. Some of my best memories of growing up involve her, and this is her recipe.

All you need is vinegar, water, salt, garlic, dill seed, and of course cucumbers.

Dill seed comes in a tiny plastic container and can be found in the spice section of your grocery store. It’s different than dill weed, an herb that comes in a larger jar. The seeds are more potent and give the pickles their sour dill flavor. (Apparently everyone is making pickles this weekend because I had to go to three different grocery stores before finding some!)

Start by peeling your garlic cloves  – you will need about 3-4 per jar. Next slice your cucumbers however thick you want your pickles to be.

Place 2 garlic cloves in the bottom of each jar, then fill with sliced cucumbers the rest of the way. Top off with 1-2 more garlic cloves.

Next is the pickling liquid – pour 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar in a pot. (I used 2 quarts water and 1 quart vinegar for 5 jars.) Add in 3/4 cup salt and half of the container of dill seed, then bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the salt.

Once the liquid is boiling, pour into jars over cucumbers. (You can use a funnel if your aim is not so great!) Pour a little more dill seed in the top of each jar, about 1/2 teaspoon, then screw lids on tight.

Store in a cabinet until the cucumbers turn a darker green, usually about a week, then they are ready to enjoy!

Every summer when I eat these homemade pickles, I think of my sweet neighbor Ann and how much fun we had when I was a little girl.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Thanks y’all!

– Nikki

 

It’s summer, which means fresh fruits and vegetables! We have a mulberry tree in our yard, as well as lots of dewberry bushes growing along the edge of our woods, so yesterday I racked up on fresh berries…

Usually I just eat these with a little bit of sugar, but I was feeling industrious this time and decided to make a cobbler.

What makes this cobbler so easy is the crust – why spend valuable weekend hours making dough from scratch when Pilsbury makes a pefectly good pie crust?!?

You will need 2 pie crusts – one for the bottom and the other for the top of the cobbler. (Most refrigerated pie crusts come in a box of 2.) Press the first crust into a baking dish and set aside while making the filling.

In a saucepan, combine 3 cups berries (I used mulberries and dewberries but any kind will work), 2 tbs butter, 2 tbs flour, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil on the stove and cook for just a few minutes until it thickens up.

After the mixture was done cooking, I also added a dash of vanilla extract and a few sprinkles of cinnamon.

Pour the filling into the crust and top with the remaining pie crust, pinching the edges to seal. I brushed the top crust with a little melted butter and then sprinkled a little sugar on top – this gives the top of the cobbler a little extra sweetness and texture.

Now bake the cobbler at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or just until the crust begins to brown.

Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for the perfect fresh summer dessert!

There was room in mine for probably double the filling, so if you have extra berries you can double the filling recipe. This would also work for other fruit besides berries, like peaches or apples. Tastes like summer!

Thanks y’all!

– Nikki