Mention pickles, and visions of tangy pickle slices, pickle spears, or even whole pickles pop into mind. See how conditioned I am? The word, “pickle” seems to be a synonym for something wonderful done to a cucumber. But I’m not the only one.

Ask anyone for pickles, and usually you’ll get pickled cucumber in some form.

But, all sorts of stuff can be pckled, not just cucumbers or vegetables. Ever have pickled beef (corned beef) or pickled eggs? Pickled pigs’ feet, anyone? (I love them!) For now, though, I’ll stick mostly to pickled vegetables. Among the more traditional pickled products my favorites are: Bread and Butter Slices, Pickled Okra and Pickled Watermelon rinds.

But did you ever consider that catsup is actually cooked down, pureed pickled tomatoes?

If you find that the terrible weather we’ve been having is causing havoc with your tomato crop, cut off the blossom end rot, gouge out the bad spots, and make catsup!

NOTE: To process pickles, place the jars in a kettle with water covering the lids. Bring water to a boil and simmer for time suggested in recipe. Unprocessed pickles packed in sterilized jars will keep in the refrigerator for months and on the shelf for 2 weeks.

Bread and Butter Slices

2 quarts sliced medium cucumbers

3 medium onions, sliced

1 green peppers, chopped

2 cloves garlic

5 tablespoons coarse salt

2 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoons turmeric

3/4 teaspoons celery seed

1 tablespoons mustard seed

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

Do not pare cucumbers; slice thin. Place in large saucepan. Add onion slices, chopped peppers and whole garlic cloves. Add salt. Cover with cracked ice. Mix thoroughly. Let stand for 3 hours. Drain thoroughly.

Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over drained cucumber slices. Heat just to a boil. Fill hot, sterilized jars (sterilize lids also) with cucumber slices. Pour over liquid to cover. Secure with lids. Place in water bath and process for 5 minutes. Makes 2 quarts (4 pints).

Gran’s Dill Pickles

These are the kind that old-time general stores sold from open wooden barrels.

Scrubbed medium cucumbers packed into hot sterilized quart-sized jars

PER QUART: 2 heads dill

1 piece grape-sized alum, or 1/2 teaspoon powdered alum

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 cup cider vinegar

2 cups water

1 tablespoon coarse salt

Add the alum and mustard seed to the cucumbers in the hot jars. Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil. Pour over cucumbers. Cover with a lid and screw down tightly. Pickles will be ready in a week.

Gran kept her jars of pickles in a cool root cellar from September to September (a whole year). However, I advise storing them in the refrigerator and using them within a few weeks.

Watermelon Pickles

6 cups prepared watermelon rind cubes

4 cups sugar

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups water

1 lemon, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons crumbles stick cinnamon

1 tablespoon whole cloves

Prepare watermelon cubes by washing watermelon rind and paring off the green skin and pink flesh. Cut into 1-inch cubes. You should have 5 to 6 cups of these. Cover overnight in salted water – use 1/4 cup coarse salt for each quart of water.

Drain. Place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Cook until just tender; drain.

Combine sugar, vinegar, water, lemon and spices. Simmer 10 minutes. Add rind. Simmer until rind is translucent (almost clear). Fill hot, sterilized pint jars to within 1/2 inch from the top. Place in water bath and process for 5 minutes. Makes 3 pints.

Sweet and Sour Pickled Okra

This is a good way to use up mature okra.

3 pounds okras

1 pound small white onions, peeled and left whole

1 red bell pepper

1 green or yellow bell pepper

3 cups cider vinegar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon whole allspice

Cook the whole okra pods and onions until just tender. Rinse in cold water. Cut the okra into 1-inch pieces, or if small pods are used, leave whole.

Cut the onions into lengthwise strips. Seed the peppers and cut into strips 1-inch long. Pack the vegetables into jars that have sterilized by boiling for 10 minutes (sterilize the lids, also.)

Boil the rest of the ingredients together for 10 minutes. Pour over vegetables. Seal with lids and rings. Process for 5 minutes. Makes 4 pints.

Catsup

1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons broken sticks cinnamon

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 cup white wine vinegar

About 20 medium ripe tomatoes (7 to 8 pounds)

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

Measure the cloves, cinnamon and celery seed into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep while you make the tomato mixture.

Peel tomatoes. Place in large saucepan and mash. Add onion. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Put tomatoes in batches through a food processor or blender. Return to saucepan. Add sugar and bring to a boil. Cook briskly over medium-high heat until reduced to half the original amount, about 50 minutes. Strain vinegar into mixture. Discard the spices. Add salt.

Simmer to the consistency you prefer. Pour into a sterilized quart jar. Refrigerate.

Bell Pepper Relish

12 green bell peppers

12 red bell peppers

12 medium, onions

2 cups cider vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

Remove cores and seeds from peppers and chop. Peel onions and chop, saving the juice. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.

Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Process for 5 minutes. Makes 6 pints.