So. I love pickles. Pickled anything and I’m there. Carrots, cucumbers, onions, green beans, beets, eggs, Mr. Disgruntled jokingly says I run on vinegar. And they’re expensive. Especially since my faves come from a local farmstand and they close for the season from December to April. (It was a hard winter when I didn’t buy extra last year lol) Despite this, I’ve never made pickles myself. Even quick fridge pickling!
I was away on vacation all last week. While gone I had had a thought to make a burger called “I Like Pickles”. It would have dill pickle chips, pickled red onions, and a pickled garlic aioli. I told my husband about it and said “sounds tasty! You can literally make that” and I was like holy shit I COULD make that. And that set off a pickling hyperfixation.
We got home yesterday, I have 3 more days off before I go back to work. Red onions, cucumbers and garlic are now quick pickling in my fridge.
Hopefully these are good and I can save some money, and unlock a new hobby!
sorry if this is a dumb question but how do i pickle things? i’m scared i’ll mess something up
Not a dumb question at all, but vinegar pickling is simple and very customizable! (Fermented pickling is also great but a bit more complicated for safety reasons, I'm assuming you mean a classic vinegar pickle)
For a simple quick pickle that you can store in the fridge, you need:
- veggie of choice, cut into slices or spears. Fresher is better (obviously cucumber is a classic, but you can pickle many veggies and fruits this way)
- vinegar (any type other than balsamic/malt works, each will impart different flavors. Traditional [and cheap] would be white vinegar)
- water
- salt
- sugar (optional)
- spices (the most customizable part! My usual is dill, peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and chili flakes + fresh garlic. You can add in other herbs, spices, and such including warm flavors like cinnamon and fresh ginger. This is all based on your likes!)
- pot and a heat safe container (Mason jars work well, you could also use cleaned glass jars from say, pasta sauce)
How much brine you make depends on how much you want to pickle. I typically make about 2 cups of brine for a 16oz jar, with a little extra after.
In the pot, heat the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Most recipes suggest a 1:1 water to vinegar (1 cup of each for instance), but you can add a bit more water if you find it too strong. I typically do about a tablespoon each of salt and sugar, but you can increase either or leave out the sugar.
Add in your spices and let the mix cook a bit, till all the salt and sugar has been dissolved. You now have a brine! I usually then let the brine cool a little so it's easier to work with.
Put your veggies into a clean jar and carefully cover them with the brine, leaving a little bit of space at the top. Stir or cover and swirl around a bit to get air bubble out. Then you have pickles! They will last for a while in the fridge, if you don't eat them immediately.
