Answers that I can give:
1. I've found Pickle Crisp at my local grocery stores: Lowe's Foods, Food Lion, and Harris Teeter, and sometimes even eBay. CaCl likes its storage to be absolutely dry so test your Tupperware with something highly absorbent like sugar or instant tea. If those survive, then the CaCl will be OK.
2. I've found that any cuke recipe works with zukes or summer squash. Use the same weight or volume.
3. Don't worry, the acidity of the vinegar impregnates the plastic, not vice-versa.

Nancy

I have a big pound jar of CC and its been fine for nearly two years now. It will absorb moisture if left out and exposed to continual air. You can pour it into a quart canning jar and it will keep for a long time. I measure it out before filling the jars. The BBB book should be a recent version where most recipes are quite safe. Check the print date revision.. Provided the pails are 'food grade', they should not release any noxins or any other stuff. I buy Heinz distilled at BJ's and its more than a gallon in a jug. I like using some of the pickle mixes (Ball and Mrs. Wages) as well as adding fresh herbs and garlic for the dills ad other types.

The cukes in Linda Lou's recipe are soaked in a salt brine

I don't soak my cucumbers for the Heinz dill pickles. If you want to you can put them in ice water for a few hours. If you use fresh cucumbers you should not need to do any presoak. I do add pickle crisp. I ordered some calcium chloride online last time in bulk. It came in a small plastic storage bottle which is nice. It keeps it dry and clump free.
Now we are telling everyone to add the pickle crisp to your brine because people were adding it to the jars and finding that either the bottom pickles were more crisp, or the top ones, whether or not you add it to the bottom or top of your jars of pickles.
The vinegar is fine in a plastic jug.
Be sure the brine you use on you squash or other pickles is at least half 5 % acidity vinegar to water ratio. That would not be safe if it is less than that. You can use any pickle recipe for squash as long as it meets that criteria.

Cool, I've wondered what to do with all my zuccini.

Linda Lou's zucchini relish!!! YUM!

Zucchini Relish
10 cups ground zucchini
3 cups ground onion
5 tablespoons salt
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon tumeric
1 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 red bell pepper, ground
1 green bell pepper, ground
Using coarse grinder, grind zucchini and onion. If large zucchini are used, remove seeds before grinding. Combine zucchini and onion with salt and let stand overnight in the refrigerator. Drain thoroughly.
Combine sugar, dry mustard, turmeric, celery seed, pepper, vinegar and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken; then add ground bell peppers and cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
Pour into pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust lids.
Process in boiling water for 15 minutes.
Yield: 6 pints

Deanna

Thanks all, this is very helpful. There is also a zucchini pickle recipe on pg. 55 of the BBB (not the same as the squash one I asked about above). Here it is for those looking for something to do with a zucchini surplus (although another zucchini use I've heard about for the really big overgrown ones is racing them down streams--just toss 'em in the water and watch 'em go).

Zucchini Pickles Ball Blue Book

Yield: about 4 half-pints

2 lb zucchini, sliced (about 8 small)
1/3 lb onion, quartered
1/4 c. canning salt
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. turmeric
3 c. vinegar (5% acidity)

Combine zucch. and onion; sprinkle w/ salt, add cold water to cover and let stand 2 hours. Drain. Rinse. Drain again.

Bring remaining ingredients to a boil in large pot.

Pour the just-boiled vinegar mixture onto zucch. and onion. Let stand 2 hours.

Bring all ingredients to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 min.

Pack hot vegetables and liquid into hot jars, leaving 1/4 in. headspace.

De-bubble. Then seal lids onto bottles.

Process 15 min. in boiling water bath.

After reading all the posts last year on pickle crisp, I tried it on a batch of dills. The result was no different than those made without. My pickles are always crisp. I believe the secret is in the processing. I always follow the much approved USDA pasteurization method. Does anyone here do pickles this way?

Pickle Crisp can't do much in the beiginning, as its meant to 'buffer' the acidity of the vinegar so it doesn't break down the cukes as quickly. I have used it for over 4 years now, since it first came out and I can safely say its been very helpful in keeping cukes a bit more crisp. Without it, they tend to get a bit more mushy especially near the skins. Can you elaborate on the USDA pasturization method? Here, I use a steam canner and don't usually add any water to the pickle brines. Heat proessing will definately make anything mushy. Thats the main reason I use a vacuum process on my pickled peppers, as if they saw any trace of heat, they would be like green applesauce in vinegar.

Ken, I make great pickles, however I don't know how to link you up to the page. Just search pickle pasteurization. I also make great lemon pie filling, but can't make a good meringue to save my soul.

I believe the pasteurization method is only approved for certain recipes, so I don't use it unless it's mentioned in the recipe (which it is in many of them).

Shirley, what recipe do you use? I've been looking for a good one.

Melissa

I made hot dills last year using Linda Lou's Heinz recipe. I added a half Jalapeno pepper to each jar. I use the pasteurization method.

Sweet Dill Pickles
This is a favorite
4 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 teas. turmeric
If making 7 quarts use 1-1/2 recipe.
Heat to boiling the vinegar, water, sugar and turmeric.

Into clean quart jars put
1 slice of onion
1-1/2 teas. pickling salt
1 stalk dill or 1 tbls. dill seed
1 clove garlic
Fill jars with sliced or quartered lengthwise pickles up to shoulder of jar. Pour boiling liquid over pickles leaving 1/2 inch head-space.

Heat partially filled canner water to 145. Add filled quarts to canner and enough water to 1 inch above jars. You must use a thermometer and keep it in the canner at all times. Get temp. up to 180. Set timer for 30 min. Do not let the temp. exceed 180 or 185 degrees at the max. Do not cover canner. I turn the jars occasionally, using tongs. You will notice the pickles will change color slightly. Leave in water for 30 minutes. Remove jars and do not disturb for 24 hours.

Egg whites are fairly easy. Use a metal bowl that has no traces of greases of any kind. Same with the beaters. If I want a bit more density, I will add and dissolve a little powdered egg whites into the egg whites before they get beaten. Add a small dash of cream of tarter when beating. At soft peak stage, slowly add a little sugar while its beating on high. Make sure any spatula you use is also grease free. Continue to beat until stiff peaks are formed. Not too far as once its there, the meringue will start to break down. If even a trace of egg yolk falls into the whites, they will not form peaks. Its always good to use a small dish to catch the whites while your seperating. I used to make lime meringue pies..

Ken, I have used 4 egg whites already to get some volume to my meringue. It seem I never have enough to cover the filling adequately. I do add the cream of tartar and always use a stainless or glass bowl. I'll check at the grocery store for dry egg whites. Thanks for the info.

The low pasteurization is ONLY for the recipes that state it as an option. We find that it is a pain to babysit the pot of water and also can't tell any difference in the result compared to BWB.
Processing doesn't make them soft, it is the cucumbers or other vegetables that you start out with. They must be fresh picked to be really crisp. These things were also things we discussed at our recent pickling class at the extension. Processing in the BWB is the only way to drive out all of the air in the jars. That is what creates a TRUE vacuum seal. It happens in the BWB canner. This does include the low temp. pasteurization if it is an option to use in a recipe. The air is also driven out in that process.

Thanks Shirley, I'll try those recipes! I never seem to have enough home-grown cukes for a full batch, but maybe I'll try a farmer's market and look for someone who says they picked that morning. My produce stand probably doesn't turn them over that fast.

Melissa

Usually 4 whites make about an 8 inch pie. King Arthur Flour has the powdered egg whites (1/2 pound $10). Ive seen it in cans, and some places sell it by the pound which is about $25 or more, but is about 80+ eggs in a pound. Don't over sweeten the whites, and if you over beat, they will collapes and get watery. Another help is a 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of corn starch so it will help hold them up during a quick high temp baking to brown the peaks.

Not enough cukes?? Plant more plants next time!! I usually plant about 12-15 areas of cukes, and use 2-3 seeds per area. They grow against a steel trellis that easily holds the vines up. On each harvest, I pick anywhere from 5 to 50 cukes, depending on whats ripened first and their size.

Here is a link that might be useful: King Arthur Flour powdered egg whites

Ken, sounds like your garden is bigger than my yard. ;-)

Melissa

I will be harvsting my garlic soon. (hope iI'm not bragging to much!) That is 50 garlic plants. The onions I planted were 500 sets back the middle of May, and those will grow through to September. I also have my walking onions which are now creating new sets at the tops. Shallots are doing good. Red raspberries are flowering, blueberries are in different stages of ripening. My salad greens are now growing well, with no signs of any chewing yet. I calculated about 2000 sq. ft of garden space alone, not counting all the blueberry bushes and fruit trees around the edges. Also, the asparagus patch, which is now just big ferns for the rest of the growing season. Between the two big apple trees, one will have apples by the end of July, the other ripens a little later in late August. Even at their small size now, they already have a red blush. I hope to be picking some apricots in a few more weeks too.