Homemade Pickles
Pickle Harvest
I love gardening and I enjoy cooking, I also get great pleasure from making things, be it art, home décor objects, or in the case of this post – pickles! A few years back my dear friend Laurie and her partner David introduced me to the most delightful tasting pickles; I’ve included the recipe below. I’ve been making pickles ever since and this year I even attempted to grow my own!
I think the art of pickle making should be simple, delicious and a pleasure to do. The following is what I consider the best dill refrigerator pickles ever! This recipe comes from DIYNatural.com.
Ingredients and stuff:
1 quart jar with a lid (I use recycled pickle jars from the grocery store and sterilize them before each use). I have also used smaller jars but the flavors then overpower the pickle, so I’d recommend sticking to the 1 qt jars.
2-3 pickling cucumbers (or as many as you can cram into the jar!)
5 springs of fresh dill (or 1 Tbsp dry dill)
2-4 cloves of garlic crushed and minced (or 2 – 3 tsp of chopped garlic from a jar) – DIYNatural.com says they use 4 cloves.
3 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
½ - 1 Tbsp kosher salt, to taste (3/4 Tbsp seems to be the sweet spot)
Distilled or filtered water – enough to top off the jar (I highly recommend the Distilled water as I’ve found the pickles to be crisper and a pretty color.)
20 black peppercorns (optional)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
I’ve always included both the peppercorns and the red pepper flakes when I make my pickles.
Directions
Now comes the fun part… after you have harvested your cucumbers (there are cucumber seeds that say they are specifically for pickling) or have visited your local farmer’s market (if my harvest is on the small side, I will supplement with pickling cucumbers from the farmers market). Pickling cucumbers are usually smaller in size and in general look like the dill or garlic whole pickles you’d see or get at a Deli. I remember when I was living in Columbus Ohio 20 plus years ago there was this wonderful delicatessen restaurant in Germantown which was an area located near downtown Columbus that sold the most wonderful garlic dill pickles, not the spears but the whole pickle, they were this bright, beautiful color of green and crisp to the bite! I think that is why I love this recipe so much because the outcome reminds me of those Germantown pickles!
Back to the directions: Cut cucumbers into disc or spears and add them to the jar with all the above ingredients except the water. Once everything is in the jar, fill it to the very top with distilled or filtered water and screw the lid on very tightly. Shake the jar up to distribute the flavors and leave it on your kitchen countertop for 12 hours. Shake again and turn upside down for another 12 hours. Make sure the lid is screwed on tight to avoid leakage. For an extra precaution, I place the jar lid side down on a plate or in a bowl. After the pickles have sat for a total of 24 hours, it is time to taste your creation! Personally, I enjoy these delightful treats with a toasted tuna fish sandwich, grilled cheese, on a cheeseburger or for something healthier a turkey wrap! I’ve even nibbled on them just as a stand-alone snack! Store them in the refrigerator and enjoy for up to a month for maximum freshness.
Bon Appetit!
Growing Pickles
