Zucchini Pickles

Ingredients

• 6 medium zucchini (about 2-1/4 lb)
• 2 medium onions, peeled
• 1/3 cup kosher salt or uniodized salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 3-5 whole small hot red peppers

Directions

1. 1

   Wash zucchini, trim off and discard ends, and slice 1/4" thick.

2. 2

   Slice onions into 1" squares, and separate into leaves.

3. 3

   Toss zucchini and onions with salt in a 2 quart glass or plastic bowl.

4. 4

   Let sit for 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Cover with very cold water and set aside for 1 hour.

6. 6

   Drain, rinse lightly, and taste.

7. 7

   If too salty, rinse some more and drain again.

8. 8

   Return vegetables to bowl.

9. 9

   In a 2 to 3 quart saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients.

10. 10

    Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

11. 11

    Taste, and remove red peppers if mixture is spicy enough, otherwise leave peppers in.

12. 12

    Return mixture to a full boil, and pour over zucchini mixture.

13. 13

    Cover with a plate or non-metal lid, and let stand for 2 hours.

14. 14

    Return zucchini mixture and liquid to the saucepan.

15. 15

    Bring to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.

16. 16

    Remove cloves and red peppers.

17. 17

    If canning, divide zucchini, onions, and liquid between 4 sterilized pint jars, being sure to divide seeds between jars, and top with sterilized lids.

18. 18

    Process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.

19. 19

    Cool, making sure that lids have sealed.

20. 20

    Store at room temperature if desired.

21. 21

    If using within a month or so, store in a plastic container in the refrigerator; refrigerator pickles have a better, crunchy texture than canned ones.

22. 22

    Pickles are very edible after only 24 hours.