Kilner jars (250g)– these are great for all kinds of preserving. You can re-use the jars again and again (just clean and sterilise them first) and buying new lids is very easy.

Jam Funnel– If you make a lot of chutneys and jams then I would definitely buy an inexpensive jam funnel. Useful for decanting pretty much anything around the kitchen too! I am the mother of 6 (only 5 of whom I birthed), and the grandmother of 10. Since my children were born in ’70, ’73, ’80, ’85, and ’90, I have always had kids in different stages of life; so my life has never been boring. I homeschooled the youngest 3 for 15 years(which I really really enjoyed), but my youngest daughter is now going to the University of Hawaii. The next oldest daughter is a theater manager and English teacher in Seattle. Our 4 sons are are all merried, living in West Virginia, Nevada, and Oregan and are the parents of all our grandchildren .I did the Cub Scout leader a long time ago; then the Girl Scout leader and like that a lot better. I also love to garden and to cook. I started cooking in grade school, was fixing dinner every night as my “family chore” by the time I was in junior high, and have been enjoying it ever since. I think when you enjoy cooking, it is contagious. My married sons both share some of the cooking with their wives; my college daughter has enjoyed putting on Sunday Suppers in her dorm. Reading is also a favorite pastime, but my “reading” is done via books on tape since I am legally blind. I love Zarr because it allows me access to so many recipes, as well as the benefit of others’ experiences (thanks to modern technology and a specialty computer software program designed for the blind and visually impaired. My husband (DH is an understated term) and I are involved in our church choir together, enjoy traveling, visiting friends around the country, and taking our grandchildren and Girl Scouts camping. Nope! If you don’t have red peppers on hand you can use yellow or green bell peppers. I like to use red because it adds a nice pop of color to the green cucumber relish but since I use homegrown vegetables I often make this recipe with green peppers if that’s what I have available in my garden. Do You Have To Use A Food Processor? Any gardener that has ever grown cucumbers knows that are 2 types of seasons for cucumber growing. The first is the year where it starts out hot and dry and the cucumbers die before they produce 10 cucumbers. The second is the year that starts out cool and moist and you end up with 500 cucumbers by August, from 4 plants! This year happens to be the latter, at least in my area! PinWash, seed, and chop 3 large green peppers into small pieces and do the same to about 5 medium sweet onions.

If you come round to my house it’s more or less guaranteed you will leave with a jar of something homemade, and the wise visitor will make a request for the courgette relish, after all that’s how it came to us in the first place. The key to making the best sweet cucumber relish is the quantity of sugar to vinegar and the freshness of the cucumbers and peppers.Water, Gherkins (19%) (Gherkins, Salt, Acidity Regulator: Acetic Acid), Mild American Style 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝 (16%) (Water, Spirit Vinegar, 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫, Yellow 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝 Bran, Maize, Salt, Turmeric), Onions, Sugar, White Wine Vinegar, Wholegrain Dijon 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝 (3%) (𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝 Seeds, Water, White Wine, Spirit Vinegar, Salt, 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝 Husk, Sugar, Ground Cloves, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg, Ground Pimento), Modified Maize Starch, Dried Onions, Garlic Purée, Dill, Salt, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Acidity Regulator: Acetic Acid; Flavouring, Colour: Carotenes; Ground Turmeric.