Making homemade pickles usually evokes notions of jars of vegetables submerged in boiling water for an exact amount of time, and it seems rather daunting. The good news is that fresh, delicious, crunchy pickles can be made without the boiling water process! The only difference in these pickles (besides the work it takes to make them) is that they must be kept in the refrigerator, and they are only good for about a month.
The first step is to procure fresh cucumbers. The fresher the cucumbers are, the crunchier the pickles will be because as pickles ripen, they become softer. If one enjoys gardening, cucumbers are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. They are prolific producers, so there will be plenty to eat and have leftovers to turn into fresh pickles. If one is not into gardening, most grocery stores sell the small pickling cucumbers in their fresh produce department. Just be sure to make the pickles soon after picking or purchasing because every day they ripen, the pickles will be less crunchy.
A basic recipe to make simple pickles is:
- 2 lbs. small cucumbers
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. fine granulated sea salt
- 1-2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup snipped fresh dill weed or dill seed
- 4-5 whole fresh garlic cloves
First, make the brine. Bring the water, vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil. Then, remove from heat and taste to adjust salt and sugar as desired. Let it cool completely. While the brine is cooling, cut the ends off the pickles. The stem end naturally produces a chemical that will make the pickles turn soft. Slice the cucumbers as desired. Some options are thin slices, thick slices, wedges, even spirals (if creativity is the goal). Place the cut cucumbers evenly in clean jars with tight-fitting lids. The next ingredients are all about adding flavor. This recipe, if followed exactly, will make a delicious dill pickle, but the flavoring ingredients can be altered to create a flavor that is precisely customized to an individual taste preference.
There is an endless list of foods that can be used to flavor pickles. Fresh vegetables, such as onions, scallions, bell peppers, hot peppers and lemon or lime wedges are great choices for creating special flavor profiles. Seeds and ground spices are also excellent flavorings. Celery seed, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, black pepper and ground cloves are only a few of the unlimited choices that can be used for creating the perfect customized pickle. Many types of vinegar can be substituted for the distilled white vinegar in simple pickles. The traditional way to make pickles requires a specific degree of acidity in order to prevent bacteria from growing because traditional pickles have an extended shelf life and do not require refrigeration. But since, as already noted, simple pickles must be kept refrigerated and expire after a month, they do not have specific acidity requirements. Apple cider vinegar and rice vinegar are two delicious vinegars that can be used to flavor them.
After all the flavoring agents have been added, pour the cooled brine mixture over the cucumbers, and make sure it completely covers everything in the jar. Tightly screw the lids on the jars, and shake to combine the ingredients. Immediately place the pickles in the refrigerator, and let them marinate for at least two days. The longer they sit in the brine, the more flavor the pickles will acquire. After all the pickles are gone from the jar, fresh cut cucumbers can be added to the leftover brine, and in two days, voila, new pickles!
Written by Susan Simmons
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