Home cooking: End-of-the-Garden Pickle

Hagerstown resident Julia Brugh gets together with her mother and sisters every year to harvest and can produce. They call themselves the Wildcat Growers Cooperative.

Brugh said the idea behind the End of the Garden Pickle is to take anything that is left from your garden and use it in the relish.


"The End of the Garden pickle was produced on Columbus Day every year," Brugh said. "Mom took all the leftover vegetables that there was not enough to do with individually, and she made this pickle."

She said the recipe makes use of whatever is left in the garden — a carrot or two, a handful of green beans, a dozen green tomatoes, whatever. The only necessary ingredients are green tomatoes and cabbage, she said.

"This year was the most successful for the Wildcat Growers Cooperative. Together we canned over 12 different items," she said. "The time we spent together creating these delicious things and the appreciation our kids and friends show for our hard work has created memories for us to share in the years to come.

"I'm already looking forward to next summer and producing even more."

— Chris Copley, Lifestyle assistant editor


End-of-the-Garden Pickle



1 cup sliced green tomatoes

1 cup sliced cucumbers                                               

1 cup sliced onions                                   

1 cup chopped sweet pepper                                       

1 cup chopped cabbage                                               

1 cup chopped celery                                                   

1 1/2 cup non-iodized salt

1 gallon of water

1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch segments

1 cup chopped carrots

2 tablespoons mustard seed