My kids love love salty, briny pickles. The crunchy chubby dill cucumbers that you find by the deli counter or at the fair type. One day this summer they came to the grocery store with me and they ditched me on a hunt for the perfect pickles. The deli type wins every time, no jar ever compares. They came back with 3 different little deli bags that has a chubby cucumber in it and ate it on the way home.
With vegetables at their peak in the summer time, and people are literally handing out cucumbers and zucchinis from their gardens its a great opportunity to make quick pickles. That's kind of a big dill around here.
Quick pickles or refrigerator pickles are a little different than the processed canning pickles. Although they are both preserved in brine but the process in quick pickles is so much faster and less tedious. Therefore it has my name all over it. My family is not the patient type either when it comes to food, we make it, and we want to eat it asap.
These pickles are so easy hence their name QUICK PICKLES. Pack your veggies in a sterile jar with spices and aromatics, pour over the brine, bring to room temp, seal and store in the fridge and within 48 hours you have some crunchy delicious pickles.
This is a great method if:
1. You have small amount of veggies to use
2. You have room in the fridge
3. For softer veggies that will otherwise loose their crunch in the long canning process
4. Also a great way to experiment with various vegetables, spices and aromatics.
Quick pickles
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 5 min
Yield: 2 quarts
Brine:
2 cups apple cider vinegar you can also use white vinegar **
4 cups water
3 tbls pink rock salt or 2 tbls kosher salt
**(I prefer this ratio of vinegar to water. But if you like a strong vinegary flavor. Add equal parts vinegar to water. 2 cups vinegar to 2 cups water).
2 pounds of washed and trimmed vegetables
I am using cucumbers, carrots and cauliflower. You can experiment with other veggies like green beans, zucchini, onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes..
Prepping the jars: Wash your pickling jars, lids and rings in warm water with soap. And rinse well. I like to submerge mine in a pot of boiling water to sanitize (but not required in this quick pickling method). Allow the jars to dry completely.
Flavorings:
You can play around with your flavorings, add other spices like coriander, turmeric, cumin seeds, mustard seeds or celery seeds. Add herbs like fresh thyme or different chili’s
Dill Garlic Pickles
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
Several sprigs of fresh dill or dill flowers
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 jalapeño cut in half
Brine
Directions:
In a pot bring water and salt to a simmer until the salt dissolves. Add the vinegar, mix to combine and turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, divide the garlic, dill, jalapenos, and peppercorns between 2 quart jars. Pack the cucumbers tightly into the jars.
You can chop your cucumbers into rounds, cut them into wedges or leave them whole it’s up to you.
Pour the brine into the filled jars, leaving approximately 1/2-inch space on top.
Tap your jars gently on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
Seal the jars tightly and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 48 hours before eating. The pickles will develope a deeper flavor the longer they sit. ideally i like to open the jars after a week.
Storage: This method for quick pickles must be stored in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Recipe variations: follow the same exact steps in the brine and the amount of veggies as above but we will add different flavorings:
Turmeric Cauliflower
2 pounds of cauliflower cut up into florets
6 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh turmeric root peeled and thinly sliced or 1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander
1-2 red chili’s
Brine
Divide your ingredients among two jars and follow the same exact steps as above.
Crunchy Carrots
2 pounds carrots, peeled
6 garlic cloves
1 tsp pink peppercorns
2 fresh bay leaf
Brine
Divide your ingredients among two jars and follow the same exact steps as above.
