We recently made pickles at our local mini maker faire in Westport, CT and we chose to make pickles for a few reasons. First off it’s easy!! Second of all, making a batch of pickles gives you an opportunity to learn about making a brine and food preservation. Many people at the faire weren’t aware that pickles are made from cucumbers! And that if you save the seeds from a really good quality organic cucumber and dry them, you can use them for your very own garden.

Next up, by adding simple white wine vinegar to a jar and adding slice cucumbers, radishes, fennel or dill, garlic or chives, mustard seeds and fresh turmeric, you can have homemade refrigerator cucumbers in less than a day. These differ from sealed jar pickles because the jars haven’t been sterilized and sealed for a long shelf life. Our pickles are intended to eat right away, and believe me, you will! They are very tart and the longer they ferment, the better they get.

pickles

one (12 ounce Ball Jar)

Ingredients

2 Organic Persian Cucumbers (sliced thin)

2-4 Radish slices

1 1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Mustard Seeds

1/2 Garlic Clove (sliced in half)

2 Sprigs Fresh Dill

 

Instructions

Slice the Cucumbers and Radish into thin slices and place into the jar.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Pour in the White Wine Vinegar so it reaches the top of the jar.

Tighten the lid and shake well.

Store in the refrigerator.

 

thoughts

These pickles will keep in the refrigerator up to a week and get better as they sit. If you want to add a variation try using Fennel instead of Dill and Chives instead of Garlic. Also, if you want a sweet pickle add a sweetener of your choice.

Relish can be made by mincing the cucumbers up or by changing the way you slice the cucumbers, you can make pickle spears.

Keep the vinegar liquid and reuse up to three weeks. Add more cucumbers or even try other vegetables to pickle such as carrots, fennel or celery root.