A Trio of Pickles
Last week was 75 degrees and perfectly sunny; this week looks like more of the same. Autumnal Equinox must be French for perfect weather (chilly mornings not withstanding). Autumn may have officially begun yesterday, but summer is still very much front-and-center in all of the best ways.
Speaking of summer, this year was my first attempt at a garden. Key word: attempt. Now don’t get me wrong – my parents had a garden in our backyard for many years when I was younger. But back in the day, I hated most vegetables — so the splendor of overflowing bowls of tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini and eggplant were totally lost on me. My parents eventually gave up on the idea, and for years all that remained was a dog-poop-filled, weed-ridden 10-foot-square space in the corner of our backyard. A fantastic visual, I know.
So I decided that this was my year. I was going to revive our once-thriving garden. Tomatoes, eggplant, squash, kale, berries, herbs – you name it, I wanted to grow it. I was going to be completely self-sustaining in the summer vegetable realm, eating nothing but grilled veggies and caprese salads — because, don’t you know, I was also going to make my own cheese! Sometimes I’m really ambitious.
However, throughout the planning process, was ignoring one very important fact — I have a brown thumb. Black, even. Every plant I touch dies within weeks. I’ve even killed lucky bamboo and cacti; to put it simply, the chances of a successful garden were slim.
But alas! That was not going to stop me. I forged ahead, clearing out the space in the backyard and planning the layout of my garden. A couple of trips to Home Depot, a weekend morning with a few handy (and strong) helpers, and three square yards of loam later, I was ready to go. First lesson learned: three square yards of loam is A LOT. like, borderline way too much.
My garden turned out to be more entertaining than it was successful. I learned more about male vs. female squash blossoms than any person probably should in their lifetime, and spent many a night watering it under the moonlight [because that’s what happens when you don’t get home until after the sun has set and actually enjoy playing in the garden in rainboots, flashlight in hand]. We got a decent crop of tomatoes, and still have plenty of green ones on the vine – which I’m hoping ripen before the first frost destroys their chances. A few lone eggplants, jalapenos and red bell peppers remain, as well as a growing patch of parsley and oregano. There is even a new addition to the garden area, which I’ve deemed the ‘berry patch’; and if all goes well, we’ll be up to our eyeballs in strawberries, raspberries and blueberries next year!
The point of my [long and relatively aimless] story is that the changing of seasons does not necessarily mean the end to summer food. Even though my garden is pretty sparse at this point [heck, it was sparse all summer], plenty of people are currently enjoying the last of their homegrown fruits and veggies. And for those of you who still have an abundance of cucumbers on hand, I may have a suggestion [or three!] on how to best make use of them.
You may have realized that I didn’t include cucumbers on the list of veggies in my garden this year; that is because I think they are disgusting. To make matters worse, I also happen to love pickles. Seriously, don’t even try to wrap your head around that one. Just add it to the list of weird food issues I have and call it a day — because trust me, there are plenty more where that came from.
Regardless, I got a generous donation of cucumbers from Peter’s mom, Karen [THANK YOU!!] a few weeks ago, and was determined to replicate a couple of delicious recipes that she had tried. Refrigerator pickles, dill pickles and bread & butter pickles: each recipe was a success all on its own. They are incredibly easy and so delicious that I can guarantee they won’t last long in your fridge – especially if you have five hungry people at home.
- 2 cups organic apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup natural cane sugar
- ¼ cup fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon prepared 'pickling spices' [see Notes below]
- 1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 - 4 cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 4 - 5 fresh sprigs of dill
- In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar, sugar and salt over low heat; stir until everything has dissolved and the mixture is clear. Stir in the pickling spices, red pepper flakes and cold water; set aside to cool.
- In the meantime, fill a mason jar with cucumbers, shallots and dill, layering them to about an inch from the top of the jar. Depending on whether you halve, double or triple the recipe, you may need more/fewer mason jars; always have a few clean ones.
- Pour the cooled vinegar mixture into the jar and seal the lid. Chill in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying.
Use a blend of coriander seeds, whole allspice, peppercorns, and a mixture of yellow and brown mustard seeds.
When all your pickles are gone, remove any remaining shallot slices and dill sprigs but leave the remaining spices and pickle brine in the jar. Slice up more cucumbers and shallots, and grab a few more fresh dill sprigs; refill the jar and put in the refrigerator overnight. You can continue to do this each time you find yourself running low on pickles [until you decide you want to make some 'fresh' pickle brine]! Also, these pickles should always remain in the fridge.
Recipe From: Edible Boston | Endless Cucumber Quick-Pickles
- 2 - 4 cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 5 sprigs of fresh dill [or 1 tablespoon dry dill]
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- ¾ tablespoon fine sea salt
- distilled or filtered water
- 20 black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- In a mason jar, layer the cucumbers with all other ingredients except for the water. Fill to the top with water and screw on lid tightly.
- Shake the jar to distribute the flavors and leave out on the counter for 12 hours. Shake again and leave for another 12 hours, at which point your pickles can be enjoyed. Be sure to store your pickles in the fridge.
Recipe From: DIY Natural | How To Pickle Cucumbers (Refrigerator Pickles)
- 5½ cups (about 1½ pounds) cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1½ tablespoons fine sea salt
- 1 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
- Combine cucumbers and salt in a large bowl; cover and chill 1½ hours. Transfer cucumbers to a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Place cucumbers back into the bowl, and add onion; toss.
- Combine the sugars, vinegars, mustard and celery seeds, and ground turmeric in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and onions; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight before enjoying. Be sure to store in the fridge.
Recipe From: Brown Eyed Baker | Bread and Butter Pickles
Maybe next year I’ll include cucumbers on my [long] list of fruits and veggies to grow, so I don’t have to bum them off other people in order to make pickles. Maybe I’ll even decide that I love cucumbers by this time next year!
I know, I know.. I’m getting ahead of myself. In the meantime, let me know which pickle recipe you like best! I actually have a fourth recipe to add to your to-do list, but ‘quartet of pickles’ doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Geoff, a good friend of mine, developed a delicious recipe awhile back — so set aside a few cucumbers and I’ll share it with you soon. You won’t regret it!
I love homemade bread and butter pickles! I just may give these a try! Thank you!
Thanks, Sue!! Enjoy :)