Summer Pickles – Posted by Lynda Balslev © 2014
When summer yields more vegetables than you can shake a stick at, it’s time to pickle. I adore pickles and for years shied away from trying to make my own. Why? Perhaps due to the time and labor, mixed with a little fear of failing. Well, quick pickling came to the rescue. For impatient types like me, this method requires minimal time and easy results.
Quick Summer Pickles
Shake up your pickles with a variety of veggies. Not only are they diverse to eat, they look very pretty in the jar. Small cauliflower florets, pardon peppers, baby carrots, green beans and fennel went into this mix. Of course you can also use cucumbers (kirby are best), zucchini, okra, or whatever else strikes your fancy.
(Just remember to pre-salt your cukes and zukes for 30 minutes, then wipe off excess moisture before brining.)
2 pounds veggies
Brine:
6 garlic cloves, smashed but intact
2 bay leaves
3 cups water
3 cups apple cider
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
Wash and trim the vegetables as needed. Tightly pack into clear heatproof jars.
Combine the brine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour the brine over the vegetables. Cover and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 24 hours or up to 1 week. The flavors will develop with time.
Three years ago I started making jam in the summer, but I’ve never tried pickles. The gorgeous photo and tangy brine recipe are tempting me to give it a try!
Delicious! That is something I want to make this summer…
Cheers,
Rosa
Really so pretty – would be a great hostess gift. I’m posting my quick pickle recipe later this week.
I am still waiting for the veggies to produce! I’ve got some small serrano peppers and green ‘maters, that’s about it. We had a very cold spring in the PNW and now it’s blazing hot in the mid-90s, I’m sure the plants are in a conundrum of how to produce anything.
I really need to get on the quick pickling bandwagon….thanks for the inspiration!
It’s definitely pickling time! I just ordered a bunch of jars from Amazon yesterday so I can start next week. They’re great to have year-round, and I use them as hostess gifts all the time.
I love pickles and these look delicious. I was wondering, is the shelf life only one week or can they last longer? Thank you. Kevin
Hi Kevin, The shelf life is indeed longer. I’ve stored mine up to 2 weeks, and they are very flavorful and crunchy at that time. I’ve seen other recipes saying you can store up to a month before they lose their crunch, but I have not tried that – mine are long gone by then. – Lynda
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Have you ever tried pickled mushrooms? I find they work brilliantly for this quick pickling method. Here’s the recipe if you want it http://www.timedeating.co.uk/pickle-pickled-mushrooms