Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 23 hours ago
We got back home after being gone for about eight days, and wow, the garden did not wait for us. Everything has really taken off. The peppers are loaded, the green beans are finally ready for that first big picking, and we even found a few cucumbers that got just a little bigger than we planned. That's what happens when you're away during peak garden season.
While we're harvesting, we take a walk through the whole garden to see how everything is doing. The tomatoes are starting to come on, the sweet corn is looking fantastic, the potatoes are still going strong, and we're pretty happy with how well we've been keeping the weeds under control this year.
After all that picking, we head inside to make one of Todd's favorite things in the pantry, bread and butter pickles. We show you a few of our favorite tricks for keeping them nice and crisp, plus a simple way we're planning to make future batches even easier as more cucumbers come in. For a more detailed recipe with ingredients, see this video: youtu.be/V56SuBo2MOY
Then, of course, we couldn't leave without giving the pigs a few of those oversized cucumbers. They were pretty happy about that. Thanks for hanging out with us while we harvest another summer garden, fill a few more jars for the pantry, and enjoy another day here on the homestead.
Our favorite tips for crisp pickles:
🥒 Soak sliced cucumbers in an ice bath with pickling salt.
🥒 Process them as soon as possible after harvesting.
🥒 Rinse well after the salt soak.
🥒 Add Pickle Crisp to each jar.
🥒 Let the brine cool before pouring it over the cucumbers.
🥒 Raw pack the cucumbers instead of cooking them in the brine.
🥒 Pack the jars as tightly as possible to help keep the pickles from floating.
🥒 Refrigerator pickles are ready after about 24 hours, while canned pickles develop even better flavor after about 2 to 3 weeks.
🥒 We also made a double batch of brine so future cucumber harvests will be much quicker to preserve.
♥
---------------
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🌱 MIGardener: migardener.com/1870
🌺 GREENSTALK Vertical Gardens: greenstalkgarden.com/?rstr=SHOP1870 (Promo Code SHOP1870 for $10 off!)
🥫 FORJARS Canning Lids: forjars.co/?sca_ref=1911228.45BY9FFxdg (Promo Code SHOP1870 to get 10% off)
🍃 HARVEST Right Freeze Dryers: affiliates.harvestright.com/1182.html
🔦 OLIGHT Flashlights: bit.ly/3z6daku (Promo Code SHOP1870 for 10% off!)
🛒 Our Favorite AMAZON Products: amzn.to/3ihSgZP
---------------
Our Mailing Address:
That 1870's Homestead
P.O. Box 179
Newport, MI 48166
---------------
✅ Connect with Us 🐐
YouTube: youtube.com/@1870s
Facebook: facebook.com/1870sHomestead
Instagram: instagram.com/that_1870s_homestead
EMAIL: that1870shomestead@gmail.com
---------------
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links - at no additional cost to you. We will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase, after clicking through the links. ♥ Todd & Rachel
---------------
00:00 First Garden Harvest
00:20 Harvesting Peppers
01:44 Giant Jalapenos
02:28 Garden Weed Update
03:33 Picking Green Beans
04:00 Tomato Update
04:54 Hunting for Cucumbers
06:07 Sweet Corn and Potatoes
07:17 Green Bean Canning Plans
08:28 Watering the Pigs
10:56 Making Bread and Butter Pickles
13:20 Tips for Crispy Pickles
15:53 Making Extra Pickle Brine
18:27 Refrigerator vs Canned Pickles
19:39 Wrapping Up the Harvest
We got back home after being gone for about eight days, and wow, the garden did not wait for us. Everything has really taken off. The peppers are loaded, the green beans are finally ready for that first big picking, and we even found a few cucumbers that got just a little bigger than we planned. That's what happens when you're away during peak garden season.
While we're harvesting, we take a walk through the whole garden to see how everything is doing. The tomatoes are starting to come on, the sweet corn is looking fantastic, the potatoes are still going strong, and we're pretty happy with how well we've been keeping the weeds under control this year.
After all that picking, we head inside to make one of Todd's favorite things in the pantry, bread and butter pickles. We show you a few of our favorite tricks for keeping them nice and crisp, plus a simple way we're planning to make future batches even easier as more cucumbers come in. For a more detailed recipe with ingredients, see this video: youtu.be/V56SuBo2MOY
Then, of course, we couldn't leave without giving the pigs a few of those oversized cucumbers. They were pretty happy about that. Thanks for hanging out with us while we harvest another summer garden, fill a few more jars for the pantry, and enjoy another day here on the homestead.
Our favorite tips for crisp pickles:
🥒 Soak sliced cucumbers in an ice bath with pickling salt.
🥒 Process them as soon as possible after harvesting.
🥒 Rinse well after the salt soak.
🥒 Add Pickle Crisp to each jar.
🥒 Let the brine cool before pouring it over the cucumbers.
🥒 Raw pack the cucumbers instead of cooking them in the brine.
🥒 Pack the jars as tightly as possible to help keep the pickles from floating.
🥒 Refrigerator pickles are ready after about 24 hours, while canned pickles develop even better flavor after about 2 to 3 weeks.
🥒 We also made a double batch of brine so future cucumber harvests will be much quicker to preserve.
♥
---------------
👕 Shop Our Merch: bonfire.com/store/1870smerch
🌱 MIGardener: migardener.com/1870
🌺 GREENSTALK Vertical Gardens: greenstalkgarden.com/?rstr=SHOP1870 (Promo Code SHOP1870 for $10 off!)
🥫 FORJARS Canning Lids: forjars.co/?sca_ref=1911228.45BY9FFxdg (Promo Code SHOP1870 to get 10% off)
🍃 HARVEST Right Freeze Dryers: affiliates.harvestright.com/1182.html
🔦 OLIGHT Flashlights: bit.ly/3z6daku (Promo Code SHOP1870 for 10% off!)
🛒 Our Favorite AMAZON Products: amzn.to/3ihSgZP
---------------
Our Mailing Address:
That 1870's Homestead
P.O. Box 179
Newport, MI 48166
---------------
✅ Connect with Us 🐐
YouTube: youtube.com/@1870s
Facebook: facebook.com/1870sHomestead
Instagram: instagram.com/that_1870s_homestead
EMAIL: that1870shomestead@gmail.com
---------------
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links - at no additional cost to you. We will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase, after clicking through the links. ♥ Todd & Rachel
---------------
00:00 First Garden Harvest
00:20 Harvesting Peppers
01:44 Giant Jalapenos
02:28 Garden Weed Update
03:33 Picking Green Beans
04:00 Tomato Update
04:54 Hunting for Cucumbers
06:07 Sweet Corn and Potatoes
07:17 Green Bean Canning Plans
08:28 Watering the Pigs
10:56 Making Bread and Butter Pickles
13:20 Tips for Crispy Pickles
15:53 Making Extra Pickle Brine
18:27 Refrigerator vs Canned Pickles
19:39 Wrapping Up the Harvest
