Pickles are a good way to start

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How to make pickles.  My version.  Enjoy!

  • Any vegetables you like (I like firmer ones like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and radishes). Carrots and cucumbers are too soft for me. *UNLESS you want an Asian pickled carrot flavor for ground pork lettuce cups which is below
  • fresh or dried spices (I used peppercorns, garlic cloves, and sprigs of rosemary) 
  • Thinly sliced Onions or shallots
  • 1 cup any kind of vinegar (I used red wine vinegar) *for Asian pickles I use rice wine vinegar and slightly more sugar, plus red Fresno chilies, some fresh ginger or lemongrass whatever I have around
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • 1 tablespoon kosher or any non-iodized salt
  • 1 tablespoon  sugar

(HONESTLY I WING IT WHEN MEASURING. ALWAYS TASTE BEFORE POURING. MAKE SURE IF YOU WANT A SWEETER PICKLE THERE IS MORE SUGAR, A SAVORY-ER PICKLE THEN MORE SALT AND SPICE)

 

    Instructions

    1. Boil plain water and let some sit in your jar. Any jar will do. Leftover condiment jars that have been through the dishwasher are fine.  Or glass Tupperware. Just make sure at the end all of the goodness is submerged in brine.  
    2. Cut up your vegetables and pack them into a clean jar and leave room to pack in garlic, 6-12 peppercorns, sprigs of firm hardy herbs like rosemary or thyme. Softer herbs like Dill and Cilantro also work but personally not my jam as they look so wilted in the jar at the end. Asian flavors as noted above though! But beware weird flavor combinations.  Dill and rosemary are NOT friends. 
    3. Combine sliced onions or shallots, vinegar, filtered water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.  I like my Allium base (yes I said Allium. It's a very fancy word for things in the onion family)
    4. Put your just boiled brine over the vegetables in the jar.  Let cool to room temp.  Fill any leftover space with more filtered water. 
    5. Wipe any vinegar spills from the rim with a clean towel and put on the lid.  Give them a good shake. 
    6. Hide the jar in the back of the fridge for at least a week. Two weeks is better, three is best.  
    7. When you have eaten your bounty don't throw that brine away!!!  It makes an incredible marinade base with olive oil for grilled chicken breast/thighs. I also reuse some of my base in the next pickle batch!  #probiotics