Pickling solution

I’ve been canning a lot of pickle goods, Sw. Relish, Garlic Dills, Sw. Pickle Chips, etc. I have a lot of Sw. Pickling broth left from the last batch I did and it has brown sugar in it, I canned about a gallon of the broth, My question is: Can I use this same recipe pickling broth to make Sweet Gherkin?

Vicki Grannemann
Baxter, Tennessee

Sorry, but this pickling solution should not be reused. You can use it as a salad dressing ingredient so as not to lose it, or you can use the brine to make refrigerator pickles from fresh cukes. The reason not to reuse pickling brine is that it can be diluted by the water in the pickles themselves, making it weaker than it should be for proper canning. — Jackie

Melted plastic in the garden

We were recently involved in one of those Utah wildfires and it melted our vinyl fence next to the garden. Fortunately, the garden fared fairly well with only the strawberries and broccoli getting a little too toasty. However, is there any danger from the compromised vinyl? It didn’t totally melt but was laying across the broccoli. And to add insult to injury, I’ve seen an increase in snakes and rodents in my garden since the fire. Gardening is challenging enough without all these complications!

Julie Hall
Herriman, Utah

I wouldn’t worry too much about the vinyl fencing; just peel it back and discard it if it is too far gone to reuse. I’m sure your garden looks like an oasis to those critters. The snakes are there for the rodents and bugs so if they aren’t rattlers, I wouldn’t urge them to relocate! I know it’s startling to have one where you don’t expect it. Especially when there’s always a possibility of it being a rattler. Our body reflex is to scream SNAKE! And run. Sounds like you survived the fire with little damage. Thank God for that! — Jackie

Preserving grapes

What are some ways to preserve grapes?

Hollis Jones
Wilmington, Delaware

You can preserve them in a light syrup using a water bath canner, or make jam, jelly, and preserves. If they are seedless, you can dehydrate them and make your own raisins. — Jackie

3 COMMENTS

  2. This is good grape juice although my family has cut the sugar down to a 1/4 cup because it was too sweet for us.

  3. In regards to Hollis Jones question on how to preserve grapes you mentioned jams, jellies, preserves & WB in a light syrup… plus dehydrating them for raisins. Dont forget some people make homemade wine, plus I intend to use mine this year to make grape juice for my son. He is very excited about it too. He loves grape juice and using an old fashioned amish recipe will make it a very simple process.
    Grape Juice
    1 cup grapes
    1/2 cup sugar
    Boiling water

    Wash grapes and put in a quart jar
    Add Sugar and fill jar with boiling water
    Process in boiling water bath.
    Or process in pressure canner at 5 lbs for 5 minutes.

    By the way, love your newsletter, thanks so much for providing such useful knowledge to so many.
    Blessings,
    Brenda

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