Well, the harvest from the garden has been in full swing since early August, and although the vegetables have been very tasty, the household is starting to grow a little tired of having a heaping plate of the same vegetables with virtually every meal.

Yes, the one downside of growing a garden is reaching that point in the season where you end up having too much of a good thing, or several good things. With all of these vegetables pouring in it was time to think about getting creative. After all, I couldn’t think about the possibility of letting any of it go to waste.

So it got me to thinking back to my childhood, immediately taking me back to my mom’s kitchen. I remember waking up to the sweet smell of strawberries simmering on the stove, as she made homemade jam with the mountains of strawberries we handpicked.

Then there were the days of walking into the kitchen and getting bowled over by the pungent aroma of vinegar, fresh dill and pickling spice, as she prepared another batch of dill pickles. The vinegar was enough to clear of the stuffiest of sinuses as it simmered away on the stove, but the end result was so worth the wait. What better way to preserve the delicious flavours from the garden in order to savour them throughout the winter?

After all, that’s why pickling came to be in the first place, some 4,000 years ago, using cucumbers native to India, and was derived out of necessity. It was a method of preserving food for out-of-season use and for long journeys, especially by sea. Although the word pickle is commonly used to describe pickled cucumbers here in North America, just about every fruit or vegetable can be pickled, and its use can be found in almost every culture around the world.

So it was time to get down to preserving my vegetables and keep them around to be enjoyed through our harsh winter months, when the idea of anything fresh from the garden is next to impossible to consider. The two vegetables that we had the biggest abundance of were carrots and string beans, not something that I typically pickle, but I figured it would be a chance to have some fun.

Here’s what I came up with. I am sure these classic pairings will work well, but, as with every good pickle, only time will tell.

Crispy Carrot, Orange and Ginger Pickles

Prep time:45 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Makes: 3X 500 ml. mason jars

1.5 lbs.fresh carrots (give or take!)

12 pc.slices of peeled ginger

1 tsp.chili flakes

1.5 cupwhite vinegar

1 cupcider vinegar

½ cupsugar

2 tbsp.kosher salt

1 ea.orange, peels only, no pith

•Start by sterilizing your mason jars, using a clean pot, submerge your clean jars and their lids in water and bring to a simmer

•Once simmered, using clean tongs, carefully remove the jars from the water and drain, set aside on clean countertop, it’s VERY IMPORTANT to start with sterilized jars in order to preserve the pickles

•Place a medium pot of water on, when boiling, blanch your carrots in the pot for 3-4 minutes, the intention is to only slightly soften the carrots

•Immediately drain the carrots and cool quickly in an ice water bath

•Place the remaining ingredients in another pot and bring to a simmer

•While the pickling marinade is coming to a simmer, place the carrots carefully into the jar, packing them quite full

•Once the marinade has come to a simmer and the sugar has dissolved, carefully pour the marinade over the carrots into the jar, distributing the ginger slices and orange peels between the jars

•Carefully screw the top of the jars on, and then place in another pot of hot water, with the top of the lids completely immersed

•Bring the water to a boil, and boil 12-15 minutes, this will force the air out of the jars and seal them tight, until they are ready for your enjoyment!

•These carrots will take about a month to be ready, but will really start to peak after about three months! I hope you can wait!

Spicy Pickled Beans

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Makes: 3X 500 ml. mason jars

1 lb.fresh green beans, stems removed

1.25 cupsred wine vinegar

½ cupsugar

¾ cupcider vinegar

2 tbsp.mustard seeds

1 tbsp.black peppercorns

2 tsp.fennel seeds

2 ea.hot peppers, I used habaneros, pick your favourite based on how spicy you want them

6 ea.garlic cloves

6 sprigsfresh dill

2 ea.bay leaves

1 tbsp.salt

•Start by sterilizing your mason jars, using a clean pot, submerge your clean jars and their lids in water and bring to a simmer

•Once simmered, using clean tongs, carefully remove the jars from the water and drain, set aside on clean countertop, it’s VERY IMPORTANT to start with sterilized jars in order to preserve the pickles

•Bring a pot of water to a boil

•Blanch the beans in the water, 3 minutes, immediately drain, and chill in an ice bath

•Place the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer

•While the marinade is coming to a simmer, stuff 2 sprigs of dill in each jar

• Then place the beans in the jars, packing them nice and tightly

•Once the marinade is hot and the sugar is dissolved carefully pour the marinade over the beans, distributing the garlic and spices evenly throughout the jars

•Carefully screw the top of the jars on, and then place in another pot of hot water, with the top of the lids completely immersed

•Bring the water to a boil, and boil 12-15 minutes, this will force the air out of the jars and seal them tight, until they are ready for your enjoyment!

•These will take about a week to start tasting good, but will peak at about the three month mark

Next week, we take a look at how the garden experiment turned out! Was it worth the money and the effort? We’ll find out then!

Who’s hungry?