Quick Pickles

this technique can be applied to pretty much any vegetable- pickled banana peppers are wonderful on sandwiches and pizzas

Fresh, unbelievably easy and requiring absolutely none of the planning of classic pickling techniques. As long as you don’t mind eating all your pickles within a handful of days this is the perfect recipe for you to show off your pickling prowess.  Stay tuned after the recipe for some other vinegar+heat+jar ideas as well as a word on the shorter lifespan of quick pickles.

INGREDIENTS (for a 1 quart container) All measurements can be eyeballed- these are pickles, not a souffle.

• 2-3 pickling/smaller cucumbers (any type will more or less work)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 2-3 cups vinegar (any kind of lighter vinegar will work- see note)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3-5 cloves garlic, slivered
• 2 tablespoons dried dill weed, or a couple springs fresh dill
• optional things to add (1 tsp mustard seed, thin sliced onion or shallot)

RECIPE

Bring the vinegar to a boil in a small pot.  While you’re waiting rinse your cucumbers and peel if necessary.  When is it necessary, you ask? I like to peel rad racing stripes into my vegetables, but that’s mostly for the look.  If you came home with standard supermarket cucumbers there might well be a heavy, bitter coating of wax that just isn’t very delicious.  That’s the necessary peeling scenario.

Slice cucumbers as thick or thin as you like.  A mandolin, food processor or even some classier cheese graters can speed up this task for the sharp knife-phobic but this isn’t the kind of pickle recipe where you want to make jars and jars to give your friends and coworkers.

Place sliced cucumbers, garlic, dill (dry or fresh), and the mustard seed (I have never used mustard seed but I rarely keep any in the pantry) or onion/shallot if you’re using them in your canning jar. This can be any glass with a screw top, there’s no need for specialized sterilization procedures.

Turn off heat to the pot and stir in the salt and sugar until dissolved.  Carefully pour this brine into the glass jar with your vegetables.  Lightly screw on the top and place in the fridge.  When your jar is cool to the touch the pickles are done! Continue to store them in the fridge.

These pickles were made at a lakefront bbq, on the grill. The recipe is just that easy!

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Shelf life-because we’re adding hot vinegar to the cucumbers instead of cold water (here’s Alton Brown’s take on classic dill pickles) we can go from cucumber to hamburger topping in under 90 minutes vs. a week.  But because we’re cooking as well as pickling the cucumbers will continue to soften and become unpleasantly mushy after 3 or 4 days.  Similar recipes online claim these will keep up to 10 days, your mileage may vary.

Vinegar choice- I’ve been happy using plain white, apple cider, rice wine and white balsamic vinegar.  The apple cider vinegar has a more flavor and sweetness to it but the jar of pickles tends to be less beautiful to look upon.

Other fun things to quick pickle- once you get the hang of this (and it really is very easy) the world is your oyster- salty, briny and delicious.

Jalapenos, like the banana peppers pictured, are great once pickled (and last a little longer in the fridge).  Omit the dill and reduce the sugar to a tablespoon or two.

Ginger- make your own pickled ginger for sushi or salads. Peel and shave super thin and leave out the dill and try to use rice wine vinegar.

Carrots and daikon radish- if your in to bahn mi replace the dill with fresh cilantro and cut most of the sugar.