What's Cooking - Sweet Hot Dill Pickles - (Almost) Real Lemonade

Down near San Antonio, Texas, there's a lady who makes killer pickles. Sweet, hot and dill. I suspect it was created on a pickling day when there was a little of everything left over and it was all poured into one jar. I've been trying to replicate it, but no real luck. I did make a fantastic batch though this weekend and I will share.

They may not be the Pickle Lady pickles (Fickle Pickles) ficklepickles.com, but they are sure good. Here's my Recipe. This calls for Pickling cucumbers, but I know this will be great using zucchini too, because my zucchini pickle recipe is very close to this.

Sweet Hot Dill Pickles

4 Sterilized Quart jars
1 Gallon sliced pickling cucumbers or small zucchini
1 quart vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup salt
2 cups water
1/4 cup pickling spice
4 chili peppers or other small hot pepper
2 tablespoons dried dill or 4 good sized sprigs

Pack 4 quart jars with sliced cucumbers, you can add a few sliced onions if you like your pickles that way. About halfway through add a chili pepper sliced in half. Top cukes with 1/2 T dried dill.( If using fresh Dill put  in jar before adding cucumbers.)

Bring the water, vinegar, sugar and pickling spice to a boil. You can wrap spices in cheesecloth so they are easier to remove, or you can strain the liquid before using. Make sure your sugar is dissolved and your liquid is free of spices. Pour hot liquid over cucumbers, watching that the liquid doesn't get on the jars. Seal jars and use a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Your pickles can be eaten as soon as they are cooled.

These are fantastic on a slice of sharp cheddar sitting on a Ritz type cracker.

Bonus recipe today!!!

I mad this great easy lemonade this week and I wanted to share. It is so close to real lemonade, a bit healthy and not too sugary. I bu the lemon juice and lemon drink mix at Aldi, but I know you can get a large bottle of lemon in the Mexican food section of the grocery for a fair price and you can use any sugarfree lemonade mix.

Lemonade - Makes one Gallon

Fill gallon container with just shy of one gallon water
Add one packet sugar free lemonade mix (to make 2 quarts)
1/4 cup real lemon juice

Mix together and refrigerate. The lemon I get is about $1.20 for a 32 oz bottle and the drink mix is a good deal too. This is reasonable and so refreshing.