Quick Sweet Pickles

Yesterday, I made pickles for the first time. With cucumbers grown right outside my door, meticulously cared for by my sister. Happy, happy things.

My oven has been broken for weeks now so I haven’t been baking. I’ve missed it and I had a hankering to get back in the kitchen. I looked at all the cucumbers piled up on my counter and thought about the pickles I’d had at a little cafe a few days before. I wanted to try and recreate the flavor. They were sweet & a little tangy, so I added some sugar, cinnamon & red onions. I stuck them in the fridge overnight, excited to see how they’d turn out.



This morning I opened them up and had a taste. They are so good! I may have done a little jig. A perfect birthday present to myself (22 today!).



If you’ve got some free time this weekend and you’ve never made pickles before, I say give it a try. It’s much easier than you think.



Quick Sweet Pickles
Adapted from here

Ingredients
    6 kirby cucumbers or 2 regular cucumbers
    1/4 cup kosher salt
    1 cup water
    1 cup apple cider vinegar
    1/2 cup sugar
    1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 cinnamon stick
    3 cloves
    1 bay leaf

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

Directions
Wash and dry the cucumbers. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the cucumbers thinly and place in a colander. Sprinkle with the salt and toss to coat. Place the colander over a bowl and allow it to sit, covered, for about 1 hour. Rinse off the salt and dry the cucumber slices well. Place them into a sterilized quart jar, along with the onion.

In a small saucepan add the remaining ingredients. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Pour the brine over the cucumbers in jar. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep, refrigerated, for about 2 weeks.

Sterilizing Jars

Properly handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.

Sterilizing Tips:
Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.

Before filling with jams, pickles or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Leave in a preheated 175 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Or boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.

Use tongs when handling hot sterilized jars, to move them from either boiling water or the oven. Be sure tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.

As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.

After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.