Allspice

My allspice tree is looking nice, although it does seem to be a slow grower. I still haven't found out all the information that I need on it, the biggest being do I need a second for pollination. Some articles say yes, others seem to say no. And if I do need a male and female tree, which do I have?

The leaves do smell really nice, however. They have the allspice scent and may be used in cooking just like the berries themselves.

It is funny that, when I tell people that I have an allspice tree, they are surprised as they thought that allspice was a blend of spices!

I also have started some paddle cactus in the open space of the container. Love pickled cactus so the goal is to get enough paddles to make a batch.

Super Simple Pickles

You can make super simple pickles from extra cukes,  using the brine from your favorite store bought pickles.

After you have finished the jar of pickles, don't throw the jar...or the brine....away. Simply slice up your fresh cukes and drop into the brine. Stir with spoon to be sure that slices are covered.  Let sit for a few weeks in the fridge and then enjoy!

(I actually will only re-use the brine once, maybe twice, then throw away.)

Pickling

I did some simple pickling the other day using a few cukes that I had to pick. I made a simple brine using white vinegar, sugar and cloves to taste, brought to a slight boil then poired over slices cukes, along with a few cinnamon sticks and a sprinkle of mustard seed in the jars.

Because I only made 2 jars of pickles, I did not bother to do the actual canning process after I filled the jars. Instead, I refrigerated the them after they had cooled.