Give me all the Pickles

One thing I can always count on to bring me a little joy, no matter what, is being in the kitchen coming up with new meals or snacks to try! Last week while at the grocery store the girls saw these cute “baby cucumbers” and they just had to have them! It is probably one of their go to vegetables, so clearly I said yes, with a side of ulterior motives.

Besides loving cucumbers, we LOVE pickles in this house. I can’t seem to keep them in the fridge, so while we had an abundance of cucumbers, I thought what better time than to try making pickles!

It it also the perfect season to spend a little extra time in the kitchen, all those good local grown veggies are coming into season, and waiting to be picked up and canned, or cooked into something wonderful!

This recipe is super easy, but takes a lot of patience.  You need to wait a minimum of a week for them to be ready for eating. Sure you could dive into the jars early, but then they taste like sour cucs and less like pickles. I’d advise waiting.

Easy Summer Pickles

Ingredients

• 10-12 pickling cucumbers
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• big bunch of dill
• 1 head of garlic, skins removed, cloves smashed (less if its a strong garlic)
• 10 peppercorn kernels

 

 

Directions

1. To make brine, combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and make sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
2. While you wait for the water to boil and cool; wash and slice cucumbers into spears.
3. Add cucumbers to jars. Do not pack them super tight as you you’ll want room for the brine. Add the fresh dill, smashed garlic, and peppercorns to the jars. You can add chilli flakes, or jalapeño slices if you want to add some kick to the pickles.
4. Finish by adding enough brine to cover the cucumbers. Seal with an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator for at least one week. Pickles should be good for at least 4-6 weeks after that.