Bradford Collard Slaw

Updated December 2021

Organically grown heirloom Bradford Collards are like no other I have ever tasted. The collards are sweet and the stems tender. You can literally wash them up, trim the stem pieces a bit, and use them all in any dish; stir fried, steamed, in wraps, in salads or as this delicious Bradford Collard Slaw.

This amazing heirloom landrace crop has been grown by the Bradford family for more than 100 years, but was released to the public for the first time this year. As soon as I heard from owner, Nat Bradford they were available, I was madly waving my hand in the air, me, me, me, me!!

Finally I was able to get some of these beauties this past weekend, and making this Bradford Collard Slaw was first on my list of ways I wanted to use them in recipes.

Just wait until you taste it. Sweet and tangy from the brine, this Bradford Collard Slaw is delicious served cold or at room temperature.

Old Fashioned Southern Squash Pickles

So why do we pickle vegetables? Well in the South in particular, it became a way of preserving summer's bounty when little to no refrigeration or freezing was available. Summer Squash Pickles, Bread and Butter Pickles, Pickled Okra, Dilled Green Beans and more became a way to "put things up" to enjoy year round. 

Brine squash in salt and water

It is rumored pickles were one of Cleopatra’s prized beauty secrets. They make appearances in the Bible and in Shakespeare’s writing. Pregnant women have been known to crave them along with ice cream. Pickles have been around for thousands of years, dating as far back as 2030 BC when cucumbers from their native India were pickled in the Tigris Valley. The word “pickle” comes from the Dutch pekel or northern German pókel, meaning “salt” or “brine,” two very important components in the pickling process. Throughout history pickling was a necessity, as it was the best way to preserve food for a long period of time. As one of the earliest mobile foods, pickles filled the stomachs of hungry sailors and travelers, while also providing families with a source of food during the cold winter months.

make sauce and pour over drained, brined pickles

Home pickling was made much easier and more sanitary during the 1850s, when two essential canning tools were invented. First, a Scottish chemist by the name of James Young created paraffin wax, which helped to create a seal for food preserved in jars. A few years later, John Mason developed and patented the first Mason jar. Mason’s jars were made from a heavyweight glass that was able to tolerate the high temperatures used in canning and processing pickles. (Source: Our State.com)

Using a slotted spoon, add squash to prepared canning jars

Cover squash pickles with sauce

RECIPE
Ingredients
10 small firm yellow squash, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 7-8 cups)
3 zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 2-3 cups)
1 small onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup canning salt
3 cups sugar
3 cups white vinegar
2 tsp. mustard seed
2 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. turmeric

Method
In a large stock pot, add sliced yellow squash, zucchini, and onion. Sprinkle 1/2 cup canning salt over all, cover/bury with ice, and let sit for 2-3 hours. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a large saucepan, add sugar, vinegar and spices. Bring to a boil over medium-high to high heat, stirring often. Remove pan from heat and pour mixture over drained squash. Let sit 30 minutes, stirring once in a while to thoroughly blend.

Using a slotted spoon, fill prepared jars (wide mouth pint jars work best), pushing vegetables down in jars. Ladle hot liquid over vegetables leaving 1/2-inch head-space. Use a plastic knife and move up and down around the sides of jars to remove air bubbles; top with more liquid if necessary,

Cover jars with lids and rings and process in boiling water bath or steam canner 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner and let sit on a kitchen towel on your counter-top 24 hours undisturbed. Jars are sealed when button in middle of lid is depressed and can't be moved.

Store in pantry up to 1 year. Opened jars must be refrigerated.

Cooks note - recipe is easily divided or doubled. Vinegar and Sugar ratio is 1:1 so adjust accordingly along with spices (less spice when divided, more spice when doubled).

Yield: 6 wide-mouth pint jars

Process in boiling water bath, cool and enjoy

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original 
content.

Cowboy Candy {Candied Jalapenos}

If you like pepper jelly served over cream cheese on crackers, you will love Cowboy Candy. The sugary sweet syrup/brine is the perfect complement to the heat of the jalapenos.

When my friend, Diane, at Canning and Cooking at Home made these, I knew I wanted to try it for myself. I have pickled jalapenos and made pepper jelly of all types, but Cowboy Candy was a first for me. So glad I tried it!

Tropical Cowboy Candy - for an awesome "twist" try adding 1/2 the can of the juice (about 1/2 cup) and all the tidbits from a 20 oz can of Dole Pineapple Tidbits.

Tropical Cowboy Candy with pineapple tidbits

Tropical Cowboy Candy with pineapple tidbits

RECIPE

Ingredients
3 lbs jalapenos, fresh and firm
2 cups distilled white vinegar (original recipe used cider vinegar)
**see here for using different vinegars
6 cups granulated sugar
1⁄2 tsp turmeric
1⁄2 tsp celery seed
3 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Method
Wearing gloves if desired,  slice the stems from the jalapenos and discard. Slice the peppers into uniformed rounds about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and set aside.

In a large pot, bring vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pepper  slices and simmer for 4 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop peppers into canning jars leaving 1/4 inch head-space.

Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.

Using a ladle, add the boiling syrup to the jars over the jalapeno slices, distributing it evenly between all the jars, leaving a 1/4-inch head-space. Use a small knife, or a plastic canning tool designed to remove air bubbles, and run it around the insides of the jars, moving it up and down to remove any air bubbles. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary.

Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and top jars with lids and bands.

Process jars in a boiling water bath 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints, adjusting for your altitude.

Transfer the jars to a dish cloth-covered space on your counter-top and let jars sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

Store in pantry up to one year. Refrigerate any opened jars.

Tropical Cowboy Candy - cook as above only add 1/2 the 20 oz can of pineapple juice to the brine (about 1/2 cup) and all the pineapple tidbits when you add the sliced jalapeno peppers to the brine to simmer 4 minutes. Proceed with the rest of the directions above.

Cooks note - Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. Save any extra syrup and "can it up" also for a real treat. Use it to baste on grilled meat, dress up a potato salad, and more.

Yield:  approx. 4-6  half-pints

Original recipe adapted from Caning and Cooking at Home and Foodie with Family

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Updated August 2019

Bread and Butter Pickles are a sweet and tangy delicious pickle. They are versatile and can be topped on burgers, diced and added to potato salad, tuna salad and so much more.

This is a very easy and quick bread and butter pickle recipe! Just follow these step-by-step directions.

Gather your ingredients together

Blend ingredients in sauce pan and bring to a boil

Slice cucumbers very thinly, or leave a bit chunkier if desired

Add sliced onion

Toss cucumbers and onions together Sprinkle with 1/3 cup canning salt and add 2 quarts cold water to cover. Let sit 2 hours; drain but do not rinse.

RECIPE
Ingredients
8 cups thinly sliced cucumbers, 1/4"thick
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/3 cup canning salt
3 cups sugar
3 cups white vinegar
2 tsp. mustard seed
2 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. turmeric

Method
In a large stock pot, add sliced cucumbers and onion. Sprinkle 1/3 cup canning salt over all, cover with cold water and let sit 2 hours. Drain, but do not rinse and set aside.

In a large saucepan, add sugar, vinegar and spices. Bring to a boil over medium high to high heat, stirring often. Remove pan from heat and pour mixture over drained cucumbers. Let sit 30 minutes, stirring once in awhile to thoroughly blend.

Using a slotted spoon, fill prepared jars (wide mouth pint jars work best), pushing vegetables down in jars. Ladle hot liquid over vegetables leaving 1/4-inch head-space. Use a plastic knife and move up and down around sides of jars to remove air bubbles; top with more liquid if necessary keeping 1/4-inch head-space.

Cover jars with lids and rings and process in boiling water bath or steam canner 10 minutes. Remove jars from water bath and let sit on a kitchen towel on your counter-top 24 hours undisturbed. Jars are sealed when button in middle of lid is depressed and can't be moved.

Remove jars from boiling water bath or steam canner and cool on towel placed on counter top for 24 hours. Store in cabinet. Delicious.

Yield:  Approx. 4 pints depending on size of pickling cucumbers

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.