Quick & Easy Pork Loin - Feeding the Flock 23

 

Preheat oven 350º

1½ lb. pork loin

½ head cabbage (next time I will use the whole thing)

2 small pickling cucumbers, sliced (next time I will use 4-5)

2 tbsp. lime juice

1½ tbsp. onion flakes

2 tsp. garlic powder

salt & pepper

¼ cup mustard dressing

Place the cabbage and cucumbers in a greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with lime juice, onion flakes and garlic powder.  

Salt the pork loin and rub with honey mustard dressing.  Generously pepper the roast.  Cover and bake 1-1½ hours.  

I wasn't sure how I was going to serve this, but it worked splendidly on top of a garden salad.  Slice the pork and lay on top of salad.  Spoon the cabbage and baked cucumbers over the top.  Baked cucumbers are so good!!! Who knew?

Enjoy!

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Sweet Pickle Mix

Sweet Pickle Mix

Soak pickles in ice water over night. Next morning, drain and slice.

8 cups sliced cucumbers

2 onions, chopped (2½ cups)

2 cups thinly sliced peppers (I used a mixture of green, red and yellow)
2 cups cauliflower (optional)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots (optional)

3½ cups apple cider vinegar

5 cups sugar

1½ tsp. turmeric

1½ tsp. celery seed

2 tsp. mustard seed

2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/8 cup canning salt

Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and spices in preserving pot and bring to a boil.  Add vegetables and return to a boil.  Cook, stirring often 5-10 minutes. Until cucumber turn to a pale green color.  Spoon into sterilized jars, cover, seal and process in boiling hot water bath for 15 minutes.  Yield: 6 pints

© Crackerberries 2014

Sweet & Spicy Relish

Yellow Dot Hot Dog Relish

3½ lbs cucumbers, (8 cups, shredded)       

2 cups onion, finely chopped

¼ cup canning salt

Sprinkle onion and cucumbers with salt and add enough cold water to cover; let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.  I did not brine the cucumbers in ice water or salt water overnight this time.  Fresh picked out of the garden and processed.

1½ cup cider vinegar

½ cup red wine vinegar (only because I didn’t have enough cider vinegar)

2¾ cups sugar

½ tsp celery salt (only because I was out of celery seed)

2 Tbsp ground mustard

1 Tbsp mustard seed

1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp ground turmeric

Drain and rinse, drain and rinse, drain and rinse cucumber mixture.  Bring vinegar, sugar, celery salt, ground mustard, mustard seed and turmeric to a boil.  Add cucumber/onions and red pepper flakes and return to a boil.  Reduce heat slightly and simmer 15 minutes, stirring often until mixture begins to thicken; spoon into hot sterilized jars, and process in boiling water bath for ten minutes.  Yield:  4 pints 

© Crackerberries 2013

Piccalilli

Piccalilli

What better way to pay tribute to National Hot Dog Day than to make a homemade batch of relish? 

6 cups small cucumbers, finely chopped, seeds discarded

4 cups diced onions

4 cups green/banana peppers, finely chopped, seeds discarded

4 cups green tomatoes, finely chopped, seeds discarded

2-3 red Chile peppers (optional – I just happened to have some and thought they would add to the color of the relish.

Soak chopped cucumbers overnight in ice water.  The next morning, drain and add the remaining vegetables and mix well.  Sprinkle with ¾ cup canning salt, place dish towel over container and let stand at room temperature for 4-6 hours.  Rinse, drain, squeeze out excess liquid.

1 quart apple cider vinegar

5 cups sugar

1½ tbsp mustard seed

½ tbsp celery seed

½ tbsp tarragon leaves

½ tbsp whole cloves

½ tbsp whole all spice

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp ginger

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

Tie the mustard seed, celery seed, tarragon leaves, cloves and all spice in a cheese cloth and add to vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil.  Let it boil for five minutes then add veggies, turmeric, ginger and pepper flakes.  Return to a boil and simmer 15 more minutes.  Spoon into hot sterilized jars and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes; yield: 7 pints

© Crackerberries 2013

Pickled Cucumbers

I know… pickled cucumbers…wouldn’t that just be pickles?  No…Actually pickles take a lot longer to pickle.  This is a quick way to have a pickled cucumber without the fuss of canning and preserving.

Ingredients

6 small pickling cucumbers

5 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 cups cold water

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp sugar

10 black peppercorns

1 garlic clove

1 bunch fresh dill sprigs (optional)

Large lidded jar (mayonnaise jars work well for this)

Directions

Cut each cucumber lengthwise into 6 spears.  Mix the wine vinegar, water, salt and sugar together.  Crush a few of the peppercorns and leave the rest whole – add to the liquid.  Cut garlic clove in ½.  Arrange cuke spears in the jar.  Pour liquid over the spears and add garlic and dill sprigs.  Make sure spears are completely submerged in liquid.  Cover and store in fridge for at least two days before eating.

© Crackerberries 2011