Making Pickles
On Sunday evening I went out and picked 4 Boston Pickling Cucumbers that were the perfect size for pickling in spears. I have been reading through the book I got the other day and I settled on a quick pickle recipe.
I reduced the recipe because most of them call for several pounds of cucumbers and I only had about 1 and a quarter pound. So I found a recipe that made 1 quart. I changed it a bit, because I just can’t seem to follow a recipe by the book.
We’ll see how they turn out, I didn’t can them because it was such a small batch. I’m basically brining them in the fridge for a month or so.
Here’s the recipe I used:
Quick Small Batch Dill Pickles
4 pickling cucumbers (around 1 pound)
1 cup water
7/8 cup of white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of pickling salt
2 garlic cloves
8 peppercorns
2 teaspoons of pickling spice (or a pinch of flaked red pepper)
fresh dill sprigs
8 sour cherry leaves (they’re supposed to promote crispness) or 3-4 grape leaves
Bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil. Meanwhile scrub and cut pickles into desired sizes. Add pickling spices, peppercorns, fresh dill, cherry leaves to quart canning jar. Add pickles to jar and pour brine over the pickles. Seal with lid and put in refrigerator for at least one month. Alternately you can water bath can pints for 10 minutes or quarts for.
I’ll let you know in a month or so how they turned out. My next batch will probably be using a different recipe, perhaps I’ll try soaking the cucumbers in salt before I pickle them. Or perhaps I’ll make some fermented pickles.
Do you like sour or sweet pickles?
Filed under Edible, Harvest Keepers Challenge, Recipe, harvest | Comments (18)
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I like SPICY HOT pickles. yum.
to Chicago Mike's comment
Mmmm. Looks good! We need to do that, we have cucumbers coming out our ears!
Dave´s last blog ..The Stowaway Plants
to Dave's comment
That sounds like a great recipe. Your photos are so crisp, I wanted to reach in and grab a cucumber.
I like both sweet and sour pickles. My mother-in-law makes some hot ones that are so good. They have some kind of chili in them. I am hoping she makes them again this year.
sarah´s last blog ..Champagne air
to sarah's comment
I like sweet or sour pickles. We make our pickles out of zucchini or yellow squash rather than cukes though…we don’t even plant cukes any more!
warren´s last blog ..Moving Bees
to warren's comment
I don’t like either kind of pickles, but i Love love love the smell. Mr. finch likes bread and butter pickles. We did plant some, but they’re only nubbins right now. Patience, I’m told is what’s needed most right now. :)
to Mrs. Finch's comment
I like my pickles sour, slightly hot with a bit of sweetness. So I want it all. BTW I do refrigerator pickles all the time and they never make it to a month. After a few days I start eating them. So far no cukes from the garden with the north east being so cold and dark (last year I was eating them in the middle of June), so I’ve taken to pickling my peas. I seem to have way too many of them. I’ve found I like pickled snap peas just as much as I like pickled cucumbers.
Daphne´s last blog ..Sungold F2 Update, July 2009
to Daphne's comment
As long as its crisp I love them both…I will be curious to see if the sour cherry leaves help, this is one I’ve never heard of before! Kim
inadvertent farmer´s last blog ..Sister to Sister…Gardens of Contrast
to inadvertent farmer's comment
This is an excellent recipe. Although I never leave comments, you are so busy and i would only be repeating ooohs and aaaaahs, your blog is very valueable on the net. Peace for all
ruralrose´s last blog ..Silver Parrot
to ruralrose's comment
I love getting comments and finding out who’s reading, thanks!
to Susy's comment
Those look absolutely delicious, and they’re not even pickled yet!
I personally prefer a sour pickle, although it wasn’t always like that. When I was a kid a really hated sour pickles and ate only the sweet ones. Now I can’t stand the sweet ones.
Kelly´s last blog ..And The Garden Comes Into Its Own
to Kelly's comment
I agree, they look good already. I like ALL pickles – and not just because I am pregnant :)
Kelly´s last blog ..More PT with Miss Abby
to Kelly's comment
Those look great! I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
pam´s last blog ..Southeast Asian Shrimp and Grapefruit Salad
to pam's comment
Just moved to a rural area after living in a MAJOR Florida city. One of my neighbors gave me a jar of “lime pickles”. They are sweet and crisp and wonderful. They are now my favorite pickles. I need to ask the neighbor for the recipe!
Anyone out there have a recipe for “lime pickles”?
to Jean's comment
MMM, lime pickles, that sounds delicious! There is a recipe in The Joy of Pickling for brining lemons and limes.
to Susy's comment
So did you put the lid on before the brim cooled down, or after? I’m assuming you let the whole thing (lid/no lid) cool down before putting in the fridge?
to neal's comment
Yes, I usually allow this to cool before adding the lid and putting in the fridge.
to Susy's comment
[...] a recipe for Small Batch Dill Pickles in The Joy of Pickling. They were very tasty, and I ended up making a few batches. If you only have a few pickles I’d highly recommend using this recipe, it makes a zesty dill [...]
to Cucumbers, Pickles or Both? | Chiot’s Run's comment
Plan to follow this recipe (thanks for posting! We are up against a small batch) where to buy sour cherry leaves or grape leaves?? Thanks for the wonderful posts :)
sarah´s last blog ..First Cucumbers Of 2010
to sarah's comment