I was in a thread where we started to talk about collecting recipes from and for all the Permies and the topic of pickles came up. So I said I would post a couple of recipes.
The first one is an old favorite of mine from the long gone "Arizona Herb & Garlic" company. I like this one because the cukes stay crisper. You can experiment with other veggies instead of cucumbers, but I found thinks like mushrooms or squash do not have the staying power that the cucumbers do, so maybe make smaller batches of those. I tried a variation a while back with green beans, sort of okay, but I need to follow this recipe more closely the next time I try it with the beans.
Arizona Herb & Garlic Refrigerator Dill Pickle Recipe
4-5 lbs of pickling cucumbers
9 Sprigs fresh dill
7 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin, keep each sliced clove separate
2 quarts of water
1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon non-iodized salt
1 cup white vinegar
Bring water salt and vinegar to boil. Turn off heat.
In a glass jar large enough to hold the cukes, place 3 sprigs of dill and 3 of the sliced cloves of garlic, pack cukes, standing up, tightly in the jar. Add 3 more sprigs of garlic and 2 of the sliced garlic. Pack more cukes in, standing up. Add rest of dill, place remaining cukes in ‘sidewards’ and top with remaining garlic.
Bring brine back to a boil. Turn off heat. Pour brine slowly into jar, filling all the way to the top of the jar. Cap. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours. Refrigerate and use up within 2-3 weeks.
Next up is a recipe shown on Martha's Show a couple of years ago from a pickle producer and the combination intrigued me and a friend tried it out. Interesting flavor. I was expecting something a little different so I still prefer the dill and garlic combo, but Grace Marie in the original thread was thinking lime cilantro tomatillo pickle and I liked the sound of that! I am giving you this following recipe exactly as it was listed on Martha's site. If you are very familiar with canning procedures the instructions may seem more overly emphasized than necessary (simmering the lids for 10 minutes) but if you are new to canning follow them exactly, so you know how to do it.
Hope you enjoy these or they give you fun ideas for your pickles.
Martha Stewart Living
September 15, 2008
Spears of Influence
This wonderful recipe is courtesy of Rick Field, the "Pickle Guy."
www.rickspicksnyc.com
Ingredients
Makes six 1-pint jars.
4 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
72 black peppercorns
24 cloves garlic, peeled
6 teaspoons pickling spice
6 fresh dill flowers or 18 sprigs fresh dill
4 pounds Kirby cucumber, about 4 inches long
Directions
Place 6 clean 1-pint jars right side up on a rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and jars with hot water, about1-inch above the tops of jars. Boil jars over high heat for 10 minutes.Remove and drain hot sterilized jars one at a time, reserving hot water for processing filled jars. Place jars on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
In another large pot filled with water, bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to a simmer, then add clean lids and lid rings. Simmer lids for 10 minutes; do not boil, as this may cause problems in sealing jars. Drain lids and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, mix together 4 cups of water with vinegar,salt, lime juice, and cumin. Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Whisk brine mixture occasionally to ensure that salt dissolves and cumin is evenly distributed.
Divide peppercorns, garlic, pickling spice, and dill flowers or sprigs evenly between sterilized jars. Slice cucumbers lengthwise into4 to 6 wedges. If cucumbers are longer than 4 inches, trim to size.Fill jars snugly with cut cucumbers, leaving just enough room to removea spear with relative ease.
Return brine mixture to a boil and transfer to a heatproof glass measuring cup with a spout. Pour the brine mixture, whisking as necessary, into the jars up to the fill line, making sure all solids are covered.
Put lids and rings on jars and tighten; do not over-tighten.Reheat water in the canner until it reaches at least 180 degrees,within 10 minutes of filling the jars. Place filled jars into the canner one at a time, using a jar lifter that is securely positioned below the neck of the jar. Keep jars upright at all times.
Add more boiling water, if needed, so that water covers jars by at least 1-inch. Increase heat to high and cover. Once water begins boiling, heat jars for 7 minutes. Turn off heat and gently transfer jars to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, taking care not to tilt jars and spacing each jar at least an inch apart. Avoid placing jars on a cold surface or near a cold draft.
Let jars sit undisturbed until fully cooled, 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until jar has cooled completely.
Once jars have cooled, test to make sure each jar is completely sealed. Press down on the middle of the lid with a finger. If lid springs up when finger is released, the jar is unsealed. Store sealed jars in a cool place for at least 2 and up to 4 weeks to allow flavors to thoroughly combine. If any of the jars are unsealed, store in the refrigerator and use within several days. Always refrigerate pickles after opening.
First published September 2008
Replies
Thanks Catherine, My cucumbers are already sprouting waiting to be pickled. I bought some purple tomatillos and and think my green tomatillos will reseed themselves. Pickled fennel sounds good too.
Grace