Cucumbers are one of my favorite vegetables. I love to eat them plain, with a little salt, in salads, or with ranch dressing. When I saw these guys at the farmer's market, I knew it was going to take a lot of strength, on my part, not to eat them immediately. As hard as it was, the cucumbers lasted long enough to be turned into pickles!
A little lesson in pickles: there are two primary ways to make pickles. The first way, which is the method by which the pickles found in groceries stores are made, is much more complicated and is best for making large batches of pickles. This involves pre-soaking cucumbers in brine, and makes pickles with a stronger taste and a longer shelf-life. However, it is worth the time and effort if you find yourself with a large quantity of cucumbers.
The second method, which I used, is often called "quick pickling" or "refrigerator pickling". Pickles are made by pouring heated pickling liquid (vinegar/water/salt) over cucumbers in a jar, along with various spices. The jar of pickles are then placed in the refrigerator, and in a few hours, you have crunchy and delicious pickles! Unfortunately, refrigerator pickles won't last more than 2 or 3 months, but once you try these, there shouldn't be any problem finishing them before they expire.
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| Pickling Ingredients |
The recipe that was used to make these pickles came from Ted Allen - it was really simple and did not take very long at all to make. It was a little hard waiting for the pickles to cool so that we could eat them, but it was well worth the wait. Pickles, in my opinion, are a great addition to a summer barbecue - so bring on the burgers and dig in!
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