Missoula Trip (Part 2): Pickling!

I love family traditions, especially ones that involve food! The Dickinson clan has some fantastic recipes from Molasses Cream cookies during Christmas, strawberry rhubarb pie in the summer and spicy dill pickles for Thanksgiving. During my last couple summers in Missoula I've been lucky enough to learn from the pickle-making master herself: my grandma. She has this thing down to a science. She knows that the Hutterites grow the best cucumbers and when to get them at Patty Creek Market. Her neighbor Jane has the best dill in town and brings it over in huge trash bags! All of the ingredients are laid out in a little assembly line and she knows that if we can them now they will be at their prime for turkey day. I think I've almost got the recipe down, but my grandma will always be able to add that extra touch.

Lined up and ready to create garic-y, spicy, crunchy perfection.

The whole house smelled like dill. I loved it.

Fresh cucs in ice water.

Let's can!

Packed and ready for brine.

I'll be seeing you in November.