They're everywhere, they're everywhere...

Here in the South we are currently overrun with zucchini and summer squash in general.

I was given a whole pile of organic yellow summer squash by some fab fellow vendors at a farmers' market. Actually, we were given SCADS of different vegetables this last week: green and banana peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.

The cucumbers went to good use in some gazpacho, with the (organic, HUGE!!!) tomatoes. MMMMMMM.

But what to do with all that yellow squash? I don't want to waste it, after all. Already, my fridge overflowed with zucchini, which comes in handy in the zucchini chocolate cake (just search this blog under recipes and it will pop right up).

So I went trolling for summer squash uses, knowing that there was no way in blazes I could just saute' or steam that pile before it would be toast. Plus, hubs was at Teleios so I couldn't count on him consuming them, either.

This is what I ended up with. I changed a number of things from an existing recipe. That's something you CAN'T do successfully with a jam recipe, but with pickles it seemed to be just fine. Plus, the veggie amounts can be approximated. I would just use the syrup recipe as is. You want to end up with the right acidity in order for things to can safely.

These are sweet pickles, that look positively lovely in the jar. A mix of colors and spices...yellow, green, white, red, etc.

Plus, you can just water bath can these puppies. No pressure cooker needed.

You can handle this ! honest. Give it a whirl if you are overloaded with yellow squash. The jars will look lovely sitting on your kitchen counter as they cool.

ten-ish cups thinly sliced summer squash
a couple cups thinly sliced onions (rings would be nice)
diced green and banana peppers
a large jar of roasted red peppers, diced
2/3 cup salt (I used sea salt, but I think pickling salt would be better. Pickling salt is, as I understand it, simply non-iodized salt.

Soak squash, onions, and peppers (other than the roasted ones) with the salt in enough water to cover everything well. Let it sit on your counter for two hours and then drain them.

Syrup
three cups sugar (I used organic demerara cane sugar, but white would be fine. I wonder how brown sugar would be!)
two cups apple cider vinegar
two tsp celery seed
two tsp mustard seed
Combine syrup ingredients and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat. Drop drained vegetables and roasted red peppers into the syrup and mix well. Put mix into hot sterilized jars and cover with syrup. Process in water bath for 15 minutes.

A Southern friend of mine says her mother used to make pickles like this. I guess I just grew up too far north to know about them before! Give 'em a whirl...or if you're my friend you could try asking me for a jar... *L*