More ... thoughts on squash pickles

While I wasn't a vegetable gardener that first year I made pickles, we had a good bit of local produce from farms in and around Pensacola. So weekly, we (MotH, Dog1, Dog2 and me) went on a drive to the farmers' market near the river in Milton to see what was available - and yellow squash was plentiful and therefore cheap. At the worst, I wouldn't waste too much money* if I jacked it up.

The recipe started as one from the internet I found and like many recipes for me I couldn't quite make it as directed even that first time. I had to mess about with it - and that's the case for most recipes.

I have strong feelings about these pickles. First - You must use turmeric. I didn't the first time, largely because I was too lazy to get any and because I couldn't see how it could make any real difference. That was a mistake. Must. Use. Turmeric. Be warned liquid with turmeric will stain your pretty dishtowels with dragonflies on them. Second - I ate a lot of these pickles in the days following a hurricane. When the dominate noise was from generators and chain saws and all outdoors when from changing from initially smelling like pine sap from obliterated trees to smelling like wet nasty things that the trash men aren't coming to get for a while. All the while  - with all that associated history - these are still damn good pickles and I make them every year. Reminders of a hurricane or not.

*except in jars, lids, pot lifters, etc... you get the idea.