Riley (or Muddy) Water Pickles

 I have this childhood memory of a gallon jar setting on the counter at my grandfather's general store in a little town in Vermont. It seemed to be filled with murky liquid, yet when a person reached in there, out came a whole pickle. She would hand the clerk a nickel and start to munch on the prized snack.

These pickles hide in the murky liquid just as well as those pickles of my childhood, but I anticipate the joy of pulling out a pickle and biting into that crisp mustard-y sweetness.

The little cucumbers are not quite ready yet, so the taste test will have to wait a little longer. Looking forward to these awesome pickles! The recipe calls for a gallon jar, but all I have are quart jars, due to the pandemic run on canning jars. Which works rather well, fitting maybe seven or so small cucumbers in a quart jar.

This recipe completes the Preserves chapter of the Maine Bicentennial Community Cookbook. It's tough to pick a favorite, but I know we are just loving the "Stinky Foot Cranberry Apple Jelly." (see blog)




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