Cucumbers are not one of my favorite vegetables, but man, do I like pickles! This time of summer, fresh picked cucumbers are usually pretty easy to come by. Occasionally, my landlord will share some cukes with me from her bounty, but these I picked up at a farmers market on the weekend.
Now, I'm no canning expert. I've only recently started to read about it/have a real interest. It seems like something I'll probably get into, so I'm approaching it slowly. I attempted pickles about two weeks ago, and my fear caused me to chuck them. (Disclaimer: as a biochemist, microbes terrify me. Which is why canning worries me.) Here's a general overview of what I did last time - I tried a recipe which required fermenting on a shelf for 4 days, then going into the fridge. After a few days, I noticed a white sedimenty floating thing at the bottom, and freaked and tossed them. I also tried one (I'm a hypocrite) before tossing them, and the flavor was so powerful that I wasn't too disappointed to get rid of them.
So, round two, I wanted to get it right and try a safer recipe. I followed the guidelines of this recipe from The Kitchn. My favorite part? It goes directly into the fridge! My other favorite parts were that it was simple, fast, and ready to eat in 2 days.
For these pickles, you'll need two mason jars, pint sized, with their rings and lids. If you're planning on storing the pickles for a long time, you'll need to sanitize the jars before you start, in boiling water. If you just want to keep them in the fridge for a few weeks, clean jars are fine.
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 cup of water and 1.5 tablespoons of pickling salt. This salt is important, and different from regular salt. The first time I made pickles (see above), I believe this is what led to my white sediment - I used regular table salt, despite reading otherwise. I found pickling salt at my grocery store, but apparently Wegman's has an uncommon selection. I believe regular Kosher salt will do. You want pickling salt, because the other kinds of salt have anti-caking agents, and that is what precipitates out and scares me into thinking I'm going to poison myself with microbes.
Here's a more in-depth discussion on types of salt: Pickling Salt
Continuing on! Heat your mixture on high until it boils. While you are waiting for it to heat, you can clean and cut your cucumbers. This recipe calls for 1-1/2 pounds of cucumbers, and I actually weighed mine. My 3 cucumbers were 1.42 lbs. Try not to vary too much from that weight, and actually weigh them if you can. Make sure to cut off the ends that it grew from, because this has enzymes that make your pickles not so crunchy. (And why even bother with limp pickles??) I cut my cucumbers into rather small pieces, but what can I say, I take small bites, so I cut everything into small pieces.
Take 4 cloves of garlic, peel them and give them a rough chop, then divide them into your jars. Add 1 teaspoon of dill seed into each jar. (Side note: I used the herb of dill for my last pickles, and this time I used seeds - I find that both instill a good dill flavoring, and are probably interchangeable depending on which you have on hand. You can mess with the flavorings in this recipe, but don't mess with the acidity/salt levels) You can also add crushed red pepper - I added a dash or two and don't detect much difference, so I'll probably add more next time.
Once your spices/garlic are divided into the jars, jam pack all your cucumber slices into your jar. Really pack them in tight, but make sure to leave some space at the top.
By now, your vinegar water should be boiling, and the salt should be dissolved. Carefully pour the brine into the jars, making sure to cover the pickles and leaving about 1/2" of space at the top. You'll probably have leftover brine, so just discard what you don't need. Close the jars and let them come to room temperature before popping them in the fridge.
Here's how to store them for longer: Heat a pot of boiling water, and place jars in the boiling water. When the water comes back up to a boil, leave them in for five minutes and then immediately remove the jars. If the lids don't pop down, they haven't been sealed properly and you should put them in the fridge, to eat them first. They should last for a few weeks in the fridge once open.
I waited, as recommended in the recipe, two days before eating them. I found that they definitely have a dill pickle taste, but are a little sharp/tangy. It's edible, but definitely not the perfect recipe...yet! I'm planning on waiting and seeing how they turn out after a few more days.
To summarize, despite my lukewarm feelings towards cucumbers, they may have earned a position in next year's summer garden.
No comments:
Post a Comment