Picky People Quick Pickle Their Peppers and Cukes

That bag of small cucumbers at the farmers’ market was screaming: “pickle me!”

And so, it came to be.

I have some idiosyncrasies when it comes to eating. That is, I can be picky. I want my pickled cucumbers to be small, more flesh, less pulp. I love a standard pickling spice and garlic for flavoring, and I want them to be sweet, but not too much so.

That’s the beauty of refrigerator pickles. Little labor. Great flavor bang - tailored to your and your family’s tastes. And while they can only be kept a few weeks in the refrigerator – unlike their canned cousins – they never make it that long anyway. That jar I made from the cukes at the farmers’ market were gone in five days.

You can choose any variety of vegetables – squash, zucchini, carrots, green beans - okra! Chop them up, stuff them in a jar with your seasonings, boil some vinegar and water, and pour it in. A good 30-minute soak and they are good, but two days later – voila!

Choose from any number of flavor profiles – standard pickling spice, dill, mustard seed, garlic or any mixture thereof. Choose from different vinegars like white, red wine, apple cider or rice (though you should probably avoid the concentrated flavor of balsamic).

Do some research, though, if you venture out and away from cucumbers and peppers. If it’s a vegetable that can’t be eaten raw, it may need some additional blanching prior to packing. Easy enough.

And take great care when working with jalapeños and other hot peppers – wear gloves and avoid contact with your skin and face. (You will only make that mistake once.) Adjust the heat by leaving or removing the amount of seeds and the ribs, where the pepper’s sting resides. Add in red bell and onion for a lovely balance between sweet, tart, and hot!

So, if you’ve always wondered, now’s the time. Oh, and support your local farmers’ market! 

Basic Pickle Brine for Cucumbers

2 16 oz. Mason jars
8-12 small cucumbers
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 – 1/3 cup sugar
1 TB salt
1-2 TB pickling spice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

Wash and slice your cucumbers and pack them in a Mason jar with the pickling spice and garlic. Leave enough room at the top for the pickling liquid to cover.

Bring the vinegar and water to a boil with the sugar and salt and boil a few minutes to completely dissolve. Be careful not to inhale the steam – it’ll make you cough.

Being very careful not to scald yourself, pour the pickling brine in the jar to cover the cucumbers. Place lid loosely on top for any pressure to escape if necessary. Once the jar cools to room temperature, screw on the lid and put in the refrigerator. The longer they sit, the more the flavor develops!