I’m kind of a dill pickle snob. Well, no. I should own it. I am a dill pickle snob. Always have been – ask my mother. And those sweet pickle things people eat? Ick. So, imagine my hesitation when my outdoor cucumber plants that folks said would never grow in Alaska started to produce lots of little baby pickling cukes. What do I do with these now? Make pickles? But they will be gross? The horror!
I decided to take a stab at a simple dill pickle recipe and lo and behold – it’s awesome. We broke into the first of many jars a few weeks ago and they are super delicious. And this is coming from me. Me! The pickle snob!
- Wash and scrub the little nubs from your tiny cukes and set aside. Make sure of course to remove all blossoms from the cuke – it will cause gross stuff to happen later.
- Clean and sterilize a jar the appropriate size for your pickles (lots of little jelly jars this year as this is about the amount of what was available at once in the garden.) ** Pickling cucumbers larger than your thumb will begin to get bitter – pick when smaller.
- Husk and smash 2 cloves of garlic and add lots of dill from the garden – add dried or fresh peppers as per your preferance
- Pack all into the jar of your choice.
On the stove, bring to boil: 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 1/2 TB pickling salt. Remove from heat as soon as it boils, and pour into your jar (you can of course cut the recipe in half or add other complicated math depending on how much solution you need). Immediately cap the jar and set on the counter. The top should pop within a few hours and voila! Your jar is sealed and your pickles are good for the next few months. I would advise letting them sit for 2-3 weeks before you break in, just to make sure they absorb that delicious dilly and garlicky goodness. Refrigerate after opening. Stuff face. Repeat.
annie.crafty.pants 