Refrigerator Pickles

 There are few things I enjoy more than gardening and growing tasty foods.  One of my favorites to grow - quick, easy, and prolific - is cucumbers!  Since there's only so much you can eat at one time, and they really are prolific, this quickly means needing a recipe for pickles!

There are two main 'categories' of pickles.  Heat-canned pickles, which are shelf stable and can be stored almost indefinitely; and refrigerator pickles, which are simply cucumbers soaked in the pickling brine, and must be kept in the refrigerator.  For those unfamiliar, think of the difference between, say, Vlassic dills on the grocery store shelf, versus Claussen pickles in the refrigerated section.  The uncooked, needs-refrigeration variety are always my favorites, crisp and fresh tasting.

Pressure Canned Ham and Butter Bean Soup

 I have recently ventured into the world of home canning.  I am already in love!  I made a huge batch of my Vegetable Beef Soup, substituting frozen vegetable for the canned vegetables so they wouldn't turn to mush in the canning process; and, of course, only heated it up rather than completely cooking it, allowing it to finish cooking during the processing.  Being able to just pop the lid off, stick it in the microwave for a minute and eat it is just amazing.  Totally worth the extra time in the cooking/prep phase.

For my next adventure, I decided to do something with butter beans, since I've been told by my doctor to eat more high-potassium foods thanks to one of my medications.  Some poking around online and recipe browsing, and the basis for this soup was born.  It's rich and hearty, without being overly complicated.  The 15 pints I made won't last long!  This is definitely going to be a regular addition to our menu.

I used speckled butter beans for this first batch; regular green butter beans (aka baby lima beans) should work just as well – and possibly be more visually appealing.  Some hot sauce, like Cholula, would be a great addition/substitution for the vinegar, but unfortunately I can't use it (allergies).  Celery or bell peppers, if you have some on hand, would likely also be good additions.