To make it easier to pack in the green beans I like to use a wide-mouth jar if possible. I like to chop and toss these pickled bens into pastas or potato salads. They are a nice addition to a cheese platter or just eat them as a snack.
With the addition of crisp radishes refrigerator pickles get an update. These are great for a snack or a condiment.
Pickled cucumbers and red onions are delicious as a stand-alone side dish or can be added to any tossed salad.
We all love a good pickled red onion, but you can quick pickle almost anything. Crisp vegetables such as radishes, green beans, and peppers are first-rate candidates. Take a trip to the farmers’ market and see what you find. If you can eat it raw then, most likely, it makes a great quick pickle.
At this time of year many gardens are bursting with zucchini. Making Pickled Zucchini Salad really helps to use up that late summer squash and keeps for about a week in the refrigerator.
Pickled Mushrooms are super easy to make and are perfect on salads or on a festive relish tray.
Cinnamon and clove scented peaches serve as a cooling counterpoint to nearly any dish. Perfect for grilling.
Occasionally I have a deep need to eat the foods that I grew up on. Growing up in Lincoln, Nebraska there were basically three ethnicities, German, Czech, and Russian. I grew up in the Czech community, but to be honest German, Czech, and Russian food is pretty much the same. My mother made this Pickled Red Cabbage recipe. I loved it as a child and I still love it today.
I had outstanding Bread & Butter Pickles at a July 4th BBQ that were so good that it inspired me to make my own. Typically I’m a Kosher Dill Gal, but these little sweeties are enough to make one switch sides.
Quickie Dill Pickles
If you don’t think that you have time to make pickles then think again. These pickles are super quick to make and really don’t require much effort. Homemade always tastes so much better.
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon Plus 1 Teaspoon Pickling Salt or Kosher Salt
6 to 8 Firm Kirby Cucumbers
5 Sprigs Fresh Dill
4 Halved Garlic Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon Cracked Black Peppercorns
1 Cup Hot Water
1 Cup Cold Water
In a large-size measuring cup, dissolve salt in hot water. When salt has dissolved, add cold water. Cut the small round scab from blossom end of cucumbers. Place cucumbers vertically in a quart jar. You will need to pack them in. Place dill sprigs and garlic around cucumbers. Add pepper on top. Add enough of salt water solution to jar to completely cover contents. Leave about an inch of airspace at top of jar. Save any leftover brine. Cover jar with kitchen towel secured with rubber band. Put jar in a cool room (away from any direct sunlight) and let pickles ferment for 4 days. Bubbles will become visible inside jar. Check pickles each day to make sure they are submerged. If needed top them off with the leftover brine. If they begin to float weigh them down with a small heavy object (stone wrapped in plastic or small jar filled with water). The liquid will probably cloud slightly which is ok, but if it becomes dark or extremely cloudy that means mold or fungus is growing in the jar and you should throw the pickles away.
After the 4 days, taste a pickle. It should be crunchy, lightly sour, and salty, with an aroma of garlic and dill. If you want a more sour flavor, let pickles ferment up to 3 more days. Taste each day. When you’re happy with the flavor, refrigerate pickle jar. You can keep them in fridge for a very long time (at least a year). Makes 6 to 8 pickles.
© Victoria Hart Glavin
