Baby cucumbers, carrots and beets are great vegetables for pickling.Tad Seaborn/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
Believe me when I say that opening your fridge and seeing your own homemade pickles is pretty cool. And you don't have to be a kitchen whiz by any means – the ingredient list looks lengthy but calls for no more than a trip to the nearest grocery store's spice rack and the use of one pot.
I get my glass jars at the dollar store. Try it once, then, if needed, you can tweak the spices to your taste. FYI, the sugar included will not make this sweet, only balance the tartness. If you like it sweeter, taste a bit of the brine once cooked and adjust.
Servings: Makes 4 cups brine, enough for about 6 cups pickled veg
Brine
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3-4 cloves (good option for beets)
Cinnamon sticks (good option for beets)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
6 dried chili peppers (optional)
Method
Wash and cut your veggies. This recipe will make about six 250-ml Mason jars of pickled veg. For standard pickles, I use baby cucumbers and slice them into thick bite-sized pieces, but you can slice very thin or cut into spears. Carrots also make great pickled sides (slice thin), as do baked red or golden beets. I sometimes add sliced onion or strips of fennel if I have some hanging around.
Divide the vegetables among your clean glass jars, trying to fill any gaps. Add 1 garlic clove (cut into 2 or 3 pieces) to each 250-ml container. Insert a dried chili pepper if desired.
In a medium pot, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, bay leaves, black peppercorns, coriander seeds and mustard seeds. (If you like, you can add the cloves and a couple of cinnamon sticks. I do this with the beets, but it works with any veg). Bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes then remove from the heat.
Pour enough of the hot brine into each jar to cover the vegetables. Include the spices, and if you added cinnamon sticks you can add those to the jar, too.
Allow to cool on the counter (no lid).
When cooled, put lids on and refrigerate the jars for 24 hours, then serve. Will keep 1-2 weeks in the fridge.
Sue Riedl