fyi, my recipe is based on this one below but upsized for farmer's market purchases, typically i do 1-2 quarts at a time, the recipe below covers about 2 quarts of pickles, about 8 times the original recipe... i also up the salt level.

you'll need: glass jars with lids. clean ones. preserving ones, sure, but also anything you run through the dishwasher after using.

basic quick pickle brine:
6 cups of white vinegar
1.5 cup white sugar
1 tbsp of salt

add: seasonings, which varies. my standard mix is usually imprecise, i use handfuls and shakers, but tends to be about 1/4 cup of pickling spice and several shakes of curry from a shaker (enough to turn the water orangish). the hot stuff i go with the red pepper flakes to taste. i've also put in powdered garlic (the fresh garlic got mouldy after a few days), about the same amount as the curry. i've use some fresh dill, but not often, that tends to go bad more quickly.

what veg to pickle: i've done squash (including zucchini and grey), green tomatoes, cukes (unpeeled), carrots (peeled for older ones, not for farmer's market new ones), onions of all colors (peeled) and probably a few more things that i've forgotten well. i would say remove large seeds from squash, and remove all seeds from cucumbers.

how much veg at once: well, if you do the math from the original, it's about 8 onions. so maybe a few pounds or two standard farmer's market containers of whatever sliced very very thin (mandolines work best for this and probably go a lot more quickly), i'd say it breaks down into at around 8 cups of whatever product, post-slicing, if not a bit more.

technique: in a medium to large (nonreactive) pot, add the brine ingredients plus spices, bring to a boil. either prep the veg while that's boiling or have it ready to go. add veg when it boils. bring to a boil again (if it does this quickly, let simmer for a few minutes). remove from heat and let cool completely (cooldown hint- if you stop up your sink and add cold water to it and put the pot in the water this goes more quickly). when cool, stick it in the jars (tongs or hands work well for this). labelling with product and date is recommended. depending on product, these should last at least a few months- i've had jars i've done in summer last through february. your mileage may vary.

and... anything that turns green etc., gets tossed plus the usual food safety rules.

 

 

 

© the bent sun as risen