TIME FOR SUN PICKLES!!!

Many of you know how to find me in the summer! Every Wednesday and Saturday I'm at the Farmer's Market on 8th St. in Holland...(That's how I make ends meet so I can keep teaching Kindermusik!) I love to people watch and listen to the street performers. I also greet my fan club...the Kindermusik Kids know where to find me: at the Boeve's stand!

As you can see from what's in Anne's basket, pickles are really in season right now. They'll still have a quantity this Wednesday but the peak was probably today.

Here's my favorite pickle recipe:

Sun Pickles

in a gallon crock or glass container (not metal) combine

6 1/2 C water

3 1/4 C White Vinegar

1 tsp Alum (Keeps the pickles crisp)

2/3 C Pickling salt (regular salt has additives and won't work)

Take the very ends off of pickling cucumbers and layer in the container with peeled garlic cloves and dill. (The amount of dill and garlic varies with the family's taste. My kids LOVE the garlic.)

Cover the pickles with the brine solution. Leave in the sun (or on the counter) for 10 days. Refrigerate and enjoy within 6 weeks.

I like to sing the "Spirit of the Sun" song from Imagine That! Hello Weather CD in thanksgiving while I layer everything in the containers:

Spirit of the sun

Spirit of the rain

Warm the earth and feed the grain

Hi ya hi ya hi ya

Hi ya hi ya

Hi ya hi ya hi ya

A little bit tart!

Ahhhhh, summer.

Yvette