In a pickle

 

My favorite pickles that I make take about a week, start to finish. Fortunately, only about 5 or 10 minutes of that is actual work. The rest is waiting. Also, the waiting is harder than any of the work involved.

 

You know those little jars of pickling spice you can buy in the spice section of the supermarket? You probably don't need them, if you've got a pretty good spice collection. You can make your own pickling spice, and it's more like a craft project than actually cooking. It's just a combination of different seeds and spices, and it's not an exact formula. If you don't like a flavor, or you're out of a spice, don't worry about it. If there's a taste you really like, add a little more. The spice I made Sunday has the following:

one small cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
half of a whole nutmeg, crushed into small pieces
two bay leaves, torn into small pieces
one tablespoon of black peppercorns
one tablespoon of mustard seeds
one tablespoon of dill seeds
two teaspoons of whole allspice    
one teaspoon of fennel seeds
one teaspoon of whole cloves
half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes

 

You also need about a dozen cucumbers. These are straight from the garden (hence the dirt). We've had cucumber failures two years in a row, so getting a bumper crop this year is a treat. Wash them and cut them in half or quarters. These were on the big side, so I quartered them.

The only other thing you need is brine. Get out a big saucepan (larger than 2 quarts), and combine 10 cups of water, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring it to a boil, and let it boil for two minutes.

 

While it's boiling, hunt around for the biggest bowl you have. Crush up some garlic (I like garlic, so I used four cloves), add a handful of fresh dill and a generous teaspoon of the pickling spice. Then add  the cucumbers. When the brine has finished boiling, pour it over the cucumbers, and invert a plate over them to keep them under the brine. Let the bowl sit out on the counter overnight, then put it in the refrigerator. I like how they taste after a week, but at this point, you can sample them any time.  These are fresh, light pickles - not as strong or crunchy as a deli pickle, and something that hardly resembles factory pickles.

 

Keep the pickles in a jar with a lid. They'll last a few weeks, unless you eat all of them right away, which is what happens here.

 

For pickles that last all winter, you need to can them. It's not that hard, but it's more involved, and you need good instructions. This is one of the best books I've found.



 

Comments

[Rebecca]

I'm not much of a pickle person, but I'm definitely going to show this to my husband - he'd love it!

[whit]

thank you thank you thank you! i've never seen pickling explained so simply and clearly for people like me. ;O) now i can't wait to plant cukes next summer!!!

[Mary@TurkeyFarm Treasures]

We had a bumper crop here as well. A double batch of fridge pickles are being consumed at an furious clip.
This morning the boys packed cheddar cheese, mayo, and pickle sandwiches for their work lunches.

[one gal's trash]

I have never made pickles before, I think I'll give it a try. Thanks! You got a mention on my blog.
Bye for now,
Pam

[Julie]

Wow - who knew - you are one talented gal! Unfortunately the only bumper crop I have here is mosquitoes - but I might just track down some cucs at the Farmers Market - Thanks for sharing! Jewels

[Martha]

Our neighbor when we were growing up in Oklahoma planted what she called "pickling cucumbers" which I think were smallish. Those vines would overgrow her garden into the back yard, and my sisters and I liked to find turtles hiding in the leaves. Will any variety of cucumber work? I want to try it.

[LiLi M.]

Mmmm I am going to a farmers market this Saturday. I'll see if I can get some of those small cucumbers over there. I think this sounds delicious! Thanks for the recipe!

[Lisa]

YUMMY!!!
Hugs, Lisa

[Lavender Dreams]

How beautiful! I always loved canning when I had gardens!

[Tina in Duluth]

My mouth is watering for pickles at 5 am!

We've had THE BEST year ever for fruit, but I've not had luck with cucumbers. I made one batch of refrigerator pickles, and like at your house, they only lasted a couple of days. I'll just look at the pictures of yours while I continue to salivate...

I hope you get some in jars for the middle of winter.

[belinda]

oh yum....i have an easy recipe too...called 'sunshine pickles'...they sit out in the sun for 7-8 days...strange uh...but they are fab!!

[susan]

your pickles sound so tasty
i might have to see if i can pick up some pickling cucs next farmers market day