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Here's a great way to preserve those excess vegies, eat on their own and/or add wonderful flavour to other dishes from the kitchens of  themalodorousmephit

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-Pickling vegetables

6 cups Distilled water
3 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup pickling or kosher salt (Do not use table salt - minerals and iodine in table salt will cause discoloring of your vegetables and clouding of the water in the jars)

Pickling is an easy way to store most vegetables for a long period of time when you do not have the ability to do canning. Despite that it's called PICKLING, your vegetables will not taste like pickles! They will taste just like any canned vegetable you get from the store.

You will need two VERY LARGE pots for doing this. As well jars and lids and a pair of metal tongs and a metal ladle.
There is other canning equipment for sale in stores which would be better to use for this, but I am trying to keep it simple for everyday people.

-To prepare, Have your vegetable chopped ahead of time, how ever it is you would like for them to be when they are stored. make sure they are washed thoroughly.

-In the first pot. Fill with water to a height just deeper then the height of your jars. Turn on high heat and get your water to a rolling boil. Using your tongs, place your jars and lids into the boiling water, making sure they are filled completely. (This is done to sterilize and clean the jar and lids)


-In your second pot, bring your distilled water to a boil. Add in your salt and vinegar, stir to make sure that all the salt is dissolved. This is your pickling juice.

Use your tongs to quickly remove a jar from from the boiling water and empty it. Fill your jar will your fresh chopped vegetables 3/4 of the way full. Ladle your pickling juice into the jar deep enough so that it covers the vegetable and leaves 5/8 if an inch of air at the top. Remove a lid and place it Tightly onto the jar. Place the filled jar back into the boiling water with your other jars for about half a minute. Remove the jar and set it aside to allow it to cool. Once it is cooled, the top should "pop" down because of the fluid inside contracting, sealing itself in a vacuum. If it does not pop down, you will need to empty it and start the process over again.

Store your jars in a cool dry location. Allow them to sit for at least 72 hours. Optimally ypou will want to let them sit for a month before eating. The vinegar will work it's magic on the fresh vegetable inside, softening them to be nice and tender.

It's very important that you get a proper seal on your jars. If at any time in the future, if your vegetables appear to have cloudy juice around them, or the top of your jar has popped out. DO NOT EAT. Thow it away.

-Dill pickles

Dill pickles are made in exactly the same way as above only in addition you will add picking spices.
You can buy them premixed in a jar or packet. I recommend using premixed dill pickling spices. There are thousands of different blends of spices and for a beginner, it can be hard to get a blend that has an appealing flavor. The acidity of the vinegar will change the flavor of spices over time.

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