by molly

B.O.A.T. Pickles

(Best Of All Time… Pickles)

One of the best things about living on someone else’s property is when they give you a bounty of their homegrown veggies, asking you, “do something with these“. Tossing freshies into a salad or on the grill is an easy go-to, but as the late harvest continues to thrive, processing and canning is the best way to go.

Alas, August in the Northeast is still hazy-hopping-humid, and I’m sure I can speak for most of us when I say that I’m not in the mood to hover over a boiling pot of tomato sauce. Really, I’m craving something refreshing… cool dill pickles! And my neighbor presented me with several large cucumbers a few weeks ago, I decided to make exactly that, and they turned out PERFECT.

Ingredients

  • A big old jar (or a few-several smaller ones… and they can be new, too)
  • Two parts white rice vinegar to one part water
  • One bunch of fresh dill
  • A few (5) garlic gloves (pickled garlic is bomb too, so the more the merrier, if you’re into that), lightly smashed
  • A few (5) dashes of mustard seed (or pickling spice)
  • A (1-2) dash of sweetener, I suggest maple syrup, brown sugar or honey
  • Several (6-9) medium sized cucumbers at least slightly seeded and quartered (no soggy doggies here, you want the freshest and firmest for a crunchy pickle… trust me)
  • Optional: hot pepper (whole, halved, or sliced)

Directions

In a large pot, combine the water, vinegar, sweetener, and mustard seeds (or pickling spice) and simmer until thoroughly integrated and fragrant. Turn off the heat and let the brine cool completely.

While the mixture is coming to room temp, slice up the cucumbers to your liking. If your cukes are small, you can leave them whole, but note that the larger the surface area, the longer the wait until you’re chowing on the good stuff.

Make sure to sterilize your jar(s) at this point too, especially if you plan to properly can them instead of simply refrigerating them (canning preserves them longer, refrigerating them means you plan to consume within a month after preparation).

Once the brine is cool and your jar(s) is/are good to go, add all of your ingredients to the jar(s). From here, you will either:

  1. Close the jar lid and refrigerate for at least one week before eating. This time allows the brine to break down the surface structure of the cucumbers, thus fully pickling them. If you decided to keep the cukes whole, this part might take closer to 10 days +/-
  2. Heat 1-2 inches water in large pot (large enough to hold the entire jar(s))
    • Lightly close lids to jar(s)
    • When potted water begins to boil, gently place pickle jars inside and cover with pot lid
    • Let the heat of the water seal the lids, creating an air-tight vacuum which prevents bacteria from getting inside, and thus reduces the likelihood of mold or other grossness before consumption
    • After a few minutes, check the lid to ensure its tight and fully sealed
    • Reduce heat and carefully remove jar(s) from pot, let cool and store in dark, temperature-controlled place.
      • Wait at least one week before opening, store in refrigerator after opening
      • Properly canned/unopened pickles will stay preserved and safe for consumption for several months

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