Canning Easy In The Microwave

OK, it’s canning time - using your microwave oven.

“The irony is the things the microwave does best - candies, pickles and jams - are old-fashioned dishes that people don’t do anymore,” says Victoria Wise, co-author with Susanna Hoffman of “The Well-Filled Microwave Cookbook” (Workman).

Maybe people would if they knew how easy it was. Here’s an example from the book.

Bread and Butter Pickles

2 pounds medium pickling cucumbers, ends trimmed, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

1 medium onion, quartered, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

1/2 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons mustard seed

2 teaspoons celery seed

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon whole cloves

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

2 cups cider vinegar

Place cucumbers and onions in 3-quart dish. Add salt and toss to coat all pieces. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes, or until cucumbers start to sweat. Transfer to colander, rinse with cool water and set aside to drain 5 minutes or so.

Using same dish, mix mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, cloves, brown sugar and vinegar and stir to dissolve sugar a bit. Add cucumbers and onion and toss to coat. Cover and microwave on high for 8 minutes, or until liquid is hot but not quite boiling. Remove and let stand until cool enough to handle.

Transfer pickles and liquid to storage container. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving. Pickles will keep in refrigerator several months.

Yield: 6 cups.