Mustard Pickles

mendi's Note:

My family's favourite variation of the east coast favourite. A great way to use all those huge cucumbers from your garden. Goes great with holiday dinners, meat and potatoes or as a relish on burgers. The recipe came from the Prince Edward Island Women's Institute Cookbook from the 70's.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 26 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 26 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 8 pints ( ...

• 1 quart onion
• 2 quarts cucumbers
• 1 medium cauliflower
• 2 finely diced sweet red peppers (optional-but makes adds nice colour) (optional)

Sauce

• 3 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons turmeric
• 2 tablespoons celery seeds
• ½ cup mustard powder
• 1 quart vinegar

Pickling Bag

• 4 tablespoons pickling spices

Directions:

1. Peel and cut onions into medium sized pieces.
2. Peel cucumbers, remove seeds and centres.
3. Cut to desired size.
4. If cucumbers are green and not too ripe, skin may be left on.
5. Separate cauliflower into small flowerets.
6. Dice red peppers.
7. Make a brine to cover vegetables of 1/2 coarse salt to 1 quart water.
8. Add a pinch of alum and let stand overnight (up to 24 hours).
9. Then Drain vegetables and prepare sauce.
10. Pickling bag: put spice in 3-4 layers of cheescloth and close tightly with string or a knot.
11. set aside Boil 3 cups of the vinegar with 3 cups of the sugar and pickling spice bag for 1 minute.
12. Remove pickling spice bag and throw out.
13. Combine remaining sugar, remaining vinegar, flour, mustard powder, turmeric and celery seed and add to hot mixture.
14. Cook sauce until thick, continually stirring with whisk.
15. Add vegetables and cook slowly for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
16. Be careful not to scorch.
17. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, while mixture is still hot.

Reviews

[Cookingpurplejulie]

I enjoyed making it, but the sauce came out way too salty. I had to throw out the entire batch after I followed the recipe to a "T". I guess I'm not a salt liker.

[Bluenoser]

Having grown up in Nova Scotia my mother and both grandmothers would make mustard pickles all the time. Having lived here in Manitoba the last 2 years i have only had mustard pickles once and that was only because my mother sent some out to me by mail for christmas. So i have been searching high and low for a recipe that comes close to the recipe my mom and grandmothers used and i would have to say this one comes pretty close. Thanks for posting and i'll be adding this to my favorites to use again and again.

[pseudogeek]

Cousin's husband is from PEI and he made this for us. IT is delicious. I watched him making it and it didn't seem difficult at all. Well worth it. Good side dish or relish for many meats. Can't wait to try it on potatoes. Five stars.