PARTY THEME: HOST A PICKLING PARTY

Getting pickled at girls’ night has a whole new meaning! Who knew? Canning and pickling are the hip new trend! With more people planting a garden or hitting the farmers’ market in an effort to save money and eat a healthier diet, what could be better than a pickling party? Putting up fresh fruit and veggies, making homemade pickles, chow-chow, salsa, soup mix, and chutney is not only fun, it is economical and you get a jump on special homemade holiday gifts, too! So gather your girlfriends for this recession buster bash and get pickling!

When I start working on a party theme—I try to find one central item to design the whole party around. For this party, glass mason jars, and pretty repurposed bottles will take center stage. Other essential items will be baskets of produce and tons of spices. Greet your guests with an inexpensive monogrammed apron; many of the monogram stores now have them for under $10. This is a functional favor that will last long after the party is over!   

This party is all about the activity. Everyone gets in on the action… the result? Guests get to take home the goodies to fill the pantry or to gift. But you certainly don’t need 20 jars of pickles in your pantry. When I hosted my party, I asked each guest if they had a recipe they’d like to make. We decided on the recipes and each guest brought items necessary for their recipe. I provided the mason jars, the food, and the fun.

Canning jars are the centerpiece of the party.

Baskets of produce is a functional decoration; use them for canning and pickling.

Make your own pepper sauce to use as a condiment for turnip or collard greens; make enough to give as holiday gifts.

My easy White Cheddar Cheese Puffs are the perfect make-ahead for this party.

For the food, I kept it simple. An appetizer buffet is really the best way to go. Select items that can sit out and don’t require a lot of attention; you’ll be busy pickling. Try easy to make recipes like these Cheese Puffs or my ever-popular Ham Delights.  You can't go wrong with Southern Classics like homemade Cheese Straws or even a simple cheese board with do the trick.

For the drinks, a signature cocktail is always easy because you can make them in advance and nobody gets stuck with bartending duties. I love Sangria for a party like this---easy to make and perfect for a crowd.

For our party, we made Peppery Texas Pickles, Green Tomato Pickles and Easy Refrigerator Pickles. And because they are perfect in a Bloody Mary or in a salad, we made Dilled Green Beans, Spicy Pickled Okra, and Spicy Pickled Vegetables. In the South, we like a garden in our Bloody Mary but there are many other easy to make recipes available.

Homemade pickles are the perfect housewarming, hostess, or holiday gifts. Other easy to make ideas include: Infused oils, vanilla sugar, Limoncello, and homemade pepper sauce Give them alone or in a gift basket with homemade or bakery bread. Or you could do a Bloody Mary basket complete with your pickled veggies, a bottle of Bloody Mary mix, and your favorite vodka. Your friends will love getting these gifts and you’ll love all the fun you had making them!

Add a jar of homemade pickled okra, pickled green beans, or pepper sauce to a Bloody Mary gift basket- perfect for holiday giving.

For our party, we made Peppery Texas Pickles, Green Tomato Pickles and Easy Refrigerator Pickles. And because they are perfect in a Bloody Mary or in a salad, we made Dilled Green Beans, Spicy Pickled Okra, and Spicy Pickled Vegetables. In the South, we like a garden in our Bloody Mary but there are many other easy to make recipes available.

Homemade pickles are the perfect housewarming, hostess, or holiday gifts. Other easy to make ideas include: Infused oils, vanilla sugar, Limoncello, and homemade pepper sauce Give them alone or in a gift basket with homemade or bakery bread. Or you could do a Bloody Mary basket complete with your pickled veggies, a bottle of Bloody Mary mix, and your favorite vodka. Your friends will love getting these gifts and you’ll love all the fun you had making them!

Get more recipes for this party from MyRecipes.com and watch my Pickling Party video for tips!

RECIPES: HOMEMADE QUICK PICKLES

In the South, canning and pickling are a part of life. I've been so excited to find that our cultural tradition is popping up on trendy restaurant menus and at America's top BBQ havens, too. It isn't enough to have a pickle on the side anymore... you gotta make 'em yourself! We always made pickles when I was growing up. We canned a lot of summer goodness... it was cheaper and so much better than store bought. I promise if you make these delicious quick pickles, people will want to know where they can buy them! I made them for the Hangout Festival's Super VIP party last year and still get messages asking if I'm selling them yet!

They will keep in the fridge for a week or two.

HOMEMADE QUICK PICKLES

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: no cook recipe

 INGREDIENTS

10 Kirby, small or pickling cucumbers

2 Spanish onions, sliced very thin and separated into rings

1/3 cup kosher salt

9 cups water

6 cups white vinegar

3 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup celery seed

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

½ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped

Big pinch red pepper flakes

 INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare glass canning jars and lids by sterilizing them in a water bath according to manufacturer’s directions. Set aside on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a clean dish towel and cover.  

Put cucumbers and onion into a glass bowl. Add the salt; toss well and set aside for 1 hour. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add the water, vinegar, sugar, seeds, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Transfer the cucumbers to a colander and rinse the salt from them. Spoon the cucumbers into the prepared jars, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle dill over the cucumbers and onions. When the mixture comes to a boil, pour over the cucumbers. Add a few more cucumbers to the fill line on the jars. Check the seasoning. You may need to add a little more salt or maybe a more red pepper flakes. Allow to cool to room temperature.

RECIPE: HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

My mom used to make homemade ice cream for us all the time. There was just nothing like it and we’d all fight to get to lick the paddle. When I was really young, we had one of those crank kind of ice cream churns. I used to think it would never freeze. When I got a little older, we graduated to an electric freezer, but it did not make as much... a problem for an ice cream loving family.

The vanilla bean is my addition. We certainly never had a vanilla bean in our house growing up. You can add fresh fruit, chocolate chips, or other flavorings to this recipe if you want but add it in right at the end after you spin the ice cream for best results.

MOM'S HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

Skill Level: Easy  

Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: 25 minutes

Makes approximately 4 cups of ice cream base mixture

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup whole milk (you can use 2% if you prefer)

2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 vanilla bean, optional

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract or to taste

DIRECTIONS

Add the milk, cream, salt, and the vanilla bean to a heavy pot or saucepan. Heat for one minute and stir in the sugar. Heat over medium heat just until the sugar is totally dissolved and just as little bubbles start to form around the edges but do not let it come to a boil. Remove from heat.

Whisk the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until frothy. Whisk a cup of the hot mixture into the eggs; slowly whisk in another cup which will temper the eggs.

Whisk the egg mixture back into the remaining milk in the pot. Change to a wooden spoon. Cook the mixture over medium low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens enough to coat back of the spoon. You will know it is done if you use your finger to draw a line down the back of the spoon and it holds. This will be around 160 degrees if you are using a thermometer. Do not let the mixture boil. (If it goes over 180 degrees F, it will likely curdle.)

Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large heat-proof glass bowl. Split the vanilla bean, scrape it and add about 1/2 of the seeds to the mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract. Stir occasionally until cooled. Taste. Add additional vanilla or other flavorings as desired. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled; up to 24 hours before freezing.

Freeze according to manufacturer instructions.