Quick and Easy Pickles

Pickles! Our CSA box has provided pounds and pounds of pickling cucumbers, so I finally learned how to make pickles, out of necessity. Out of survival!

This easy and quick recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated and provides a wonderfully crisp icebox pickle. I say “icebox” because you don’t preserve the pickles, but they lasts weeks in your fridge. And the taste just gets better over time – less vinegary, more dilly.

I want to play with this recipe. Next time, I would add whole garlic cloves in the jars and perhaps a dash more salt and some chili flakes or something spicy.

These are wonderful as a snack or along with your favorite ‘mater sandwich. Grant was disappointed when I forgot them for our picnic along the Virginia Creeper Trail. But then he remembered that I made roast-beef sandwiches with fresh tomato, arugula and pesto mayo.

Quick and Easy Pickles

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pickling cucumbers, sliced into spears
• 1 T kosher salt
• 1/2 c. plus 1 T chopped fresh dill
• 1 T peppercorns
• 1 T dried dill weed
• 6 medium garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 1/2 c. distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 c. ice

Toss cucumbers with salt in colander set over bowl and let stand 1 hour. Discard any drained liquid.

Place 1/2 c. fresh dill, peppercorns, dried dill and garlic in coffee filter or cheesecloth and tie tightly with kitchen twine. Bring spice bag and vinegar to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and add cucumbers. Cover and cook until cucumbers turn dull olive brown, 5 min. If some are still green in spots, push them down into the liquid and continue to cook until brown. But do not over-cook! Discard spice bag.

Transfer cucumbers and liquid to large bowl and add ice, stirring until melted. Stir in remaining T fresh dill. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 1 day, preferably 2. I divided mine into jars with extra brine that I made to keep them moist.

Enjoy, friends! xoxo

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