As summer starts to wind down and the kids (and teachers) go back to school, our little field is still pumping out produce like a boss. Those who know me are familiar with my strange love for dill pickles. It’s kinda my thing. And now, I’ve been sneakily feeding pickles to my son since he was old enough to chew…and now there are two of us.

So, in order to promote a gluttony of pickle-eating around these parts, we will have our cucumbers on sale on the farm stand all weekend long. Small cucumbers are 2/$1 and large cucumbers are just $1. Use the pickle recipes below as some inspiration.

Growing up, my Wyant grandparents always canned just about anything and everything that you could imagine. Some of it was great (their dill pickles) and some of it was just nasty (their runny ketchup). Each summer, I make a big batch of pickles using their recipe. They canned them, but I typically just make “refrigerator” pickles. It’s essentially the same recipe, but I just let mine sit in a pitcher in the fridge for a day or two before they’re ready to eat. The original recipe was for a HUGE batch, so I’ve done some hardcore arithmetic to pare it down to size. This should make about 1 gallon of fresh dill pickles unlike anything you can buy in the store.

1. Add one bunch of fresh dill and 2 cloves of garlic to a one or two gallon pitcher.
2. Next, fill up the rest of the pitcher with sliced cucumbers. (I like to slice mine pretty darn thick.)
3. In a saucepan, combine:
   6 cups water
   3/8 cup canning/pickling salt (yes, it’s different than table salt)
   2 pints white vinegar
   1 pinch alum (not necessary, but it makes them a little crispier)
4. Bring this mixture to a boil and then take it off the heat.
5. Let it cool for a little bit, and then pour over the cucumbers.
6. Place pitcher in the fridge and let it do its thing for a couple days before they are ready to eat.

My grandpa Warren on my mom’s side of the family has been making microwave pickles for as long as I can remember. He’s even discovered a number of hacks to make the recipe easier to do in his assisted living apartment. If you’re more into sweet pickles, then this is the perfect recipe for you. It’s quick, simple, and they’re ready to eat right away.

1. Combine the following in a microwave-safe dish 2 qts. or larger:
   4 cups sliced cukes (Gpa Warren suggests 1/4” thick)
   1 med onion, sliced thin
   ½ cup white vinegar
   ½ cup sugar
   1 tsp mustard seed
   ½ tsp celery seed
   ½ tsp salt
2. Then, microwave on high for 2 ½ minutes.
3. Stir, then microwave another 2 ½ minutes.  (Microwave times will vary, obviously)

In addition to boatloads of cucumbers, we also have the following on the farm stand this weekend:

Tomatoes—just $2/lb!
Yellow Squash–$1 each
Zucchini–$1 each
HUGE Zucchini (best for shredding)–$2 each
Onions–$3/3 lb. bag
Ball jar fresh flower bouquets–$15

Custom floral arrangements are also available this weekend, but please call ahead so we can pick the flowers and rehydrate them so they will last longer. We have crazy awesome sungold sunflowers and café au lait dahlias that we can use in your arrangements!

And if you haven’t already, please sign up for our mailing list.  We are about to make a “sweet” announcement, and our mailing list will be the first to know!