Kathy's Mustard Pickles

Thanks for the Crowsnest Mountain Cabin Getaway Gerry and Kathy.   Kathy sent us home with a jar of relish and the recipe.  

Mustard Pickles 

2 large onions, diced

5 or 6 English cucumbers, cut to desired size 

1/2 cauliflower, chopped 

1 red pepper, cut into small pieces 

1 cup sliced celery (optional)

Sauce

3 1/2 cups sugar 

1/2 cup flour 

2 tablespoons turmeric 

2 tablespoons celery seeds 

1/2 cup mustard powder 

4 cups vinegar 

4 tablespoons pickling spice for pickling bag

Make a brine of 1/2 cup coarse salt to 4 cups water to cover vegetables. Add more water if needed to just cover. Let sit 4 to 5 hours or up to overnight.

Drain vegetables.

Make a pickling bag. Put spice in 3-4 layers of cheesecloth and close tightly with string.

Boil 3 cups vinegar with 3 cups sugar with pickling bag. 

Add drained vegetables and cook until vegetables are tender crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

Watch carefully to not overcook. Remove pickling bag.

In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar, flour, mustard powder, turmeric, celery seed  and 1 cup vinegar. 

Add to hot vegetables and stir continually until sauce is thick.

Ladle into hot sterilized jars while mixture is still hot.

Process jars.

Makes about 8 pints.

Note from Kathy: 

I forgot to add that I peel the cucumbers but I like to leave a few bits of green for colour. You don’t need to seed the cucumbers (which is why I like English cucumbers!).