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Garlic dill pickles
I found the most perfect pickling cucumbers at the farmers market last weekend, and so when I saw them I knew I had to try my hand at making pickles. As it turns out, this method of pickle making is incredibly easy and exceedingly tasty. I made the pickles Sunday afternoon and cracked open the first jar today at lunch, and they're delicious; aging the other jars will only deepen the flavors.
Cucumbers:
Good pickling cucumbers, about 3.5 to 4 inches long. What makes a good pickling cucumber? I don't really know, but I judged these by the fact that the looked like pickles already. I got about 10 or so. I quartered the cucumbers lengthwise to make spears; I found they packed better in the jars better than whole, and I didn't want to cut them into coins.
Brine:
1 to 1 ratio of vinegar to water, with a tablespoon of kosher or pickling salt for every cup of vinegar. You can use filtered cider vinegar for some or all of it, if you want (it will enrich the flavor a bit). Kosher or pickling salt is preferable over table salt because it doesn't contain iodine (which will darken the brine) or anti-caking agents (which will make it cloudy).
Combine the water, vinegar, and salt, and bring to a boil.
Pickling spices and additives:
For each jar, I put in the bottom, before packing in the cucumbers, approximately:
2 garlic cloves
2 dried pequin peppers
1 teaspoon dill seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper
a pinch of caraway seeds
a few sprigs of fresh dill
After packing the sliced cucumbers into 3 regular pint jars, I poured enough brine into each to leave about 1/4 to 1/2 inch space at the top. Then I put the covers on the jars and processed them in a boiling water bath for about 10 minutes. The jar tops should seal as they cool, and after a few days to a few weeks you should have delicious pickles. Vary the spices however you see fit.
Cucumbers:
Good pickling cucumbers, about 3.5 to 4 inches long. What makes a good pickling cucumber? I don't really know, but I judged these by the fact that the looked like pickles already. I got about 10 or so. I quartered the cucumbers lengthwise to make spears; I found they packed better in the jars better than whole, and I didn't want to cut them into coins.
Brine:
1 to 1 ratio of vinegar to water, with a tablespoon of kosher or pickling salt for every cup of vinegar. You can use filtered cider vinegar for some or all of it, if you want (it will enrich the flavor a bit). Kosher or pickling salt is preferable over table salt because it doesn't contain iodine (which will darken the brine) or anti-caking agents (which will make it cloudy).
Combine the water, vinegar, and salt, and bring to a boil.
Pickling spices and additives:
For each jar, I put in the bottom, before packing in the cucumbers, approximately:
2 garlic cloves
2 dried pequin peppers
1 teaspoon dill seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper
a pinch of caraway seeds
a few sprigs of fresh dill
After packing the sliced cucumbers into 3 regular pint jars, I poured enough brine into each to leave about 1/4 to 1/2 inch space at the top. Then I put the covers on the jars and processed them in a boiling water bath for about 10 minutes. The jar tops should seal as they cool, and after a few days to a few weeks you should have delicious pickles. Vary the spices however you see fit.