Pickles

For years I have tried to make dill pickles that tasted good and something has always been wrong. Either they’re soft and wrinkled or the brine gets cloudy and they taste sort of fizzy (I throw them out) or they are too salty—it’s always something. I finally have decided to just buy my pickles and get good ones. That is until I had my hair done at Jane’s last Monday.

Jane is a friend of mine in Eagan that has a hair salon in her house and has done my hair for years. She also plays bridge in my bridge group and is a great cook. When I arrived for my monthly appointment she had a bag of pickling cucumbers from her garden and said I should take them. I mentioned my lack of success with pickles and she nodded in agreement but gave me the secret to success. It works.

13 cups water
6 ½ cups vinegar
1 cups salt
12 cloves garlic, peeled
12 sprigs dill
Cucumbers to fill 6 quart jars

Bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil. Pack well-washed cucumbers into hot, sterilized jars. Add 2 cloves garlic and 2 sprigs dill to each jar. Using funnel, pour hot brine over cucumbers to just short of top of jar. (Leave about ¼ inch headroom). Seal with sterilized lids and rings. Boil enough water to cover jars in a large canner. Place jars in water and turn off the heat. Put a clean towel over the canner and let sit until the water is cool. Remove jars and cool. Store.

If you are not into the sealing-type canning, refrigerator pickles are a great way to go. Here is a “Pickle master” brine that will make pickles out of any fresh, ripe vegetable you choose and store for up to 2 months in the refrigerator.

Makes 8 cups (adapted from Country Living August, 2003)

5 cups white distilled or cider vinegar (5 percent acidity).
1 cup sugar
¼ cup salt

Combine all ingredients plus 2 cups water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and the mixture just begins to boil. Pour hot liquid over the desired combination of vegetables, herbs and spices. Let cool, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 weeks before opening. Once opened, pickles will keep refrigerated for up to 2 months.

Quick Dill Pickles (makes 2 one-pint jars)

8 pickling cucumbers (about 1 pound)
½ cup fresh dill
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 tsp. dill seed
1 tsp. peppercorns
2 ½-inch pieces fresh horseradish
1 ½ cups Pickle Master (recipe above)

Divide cucumbers between 2 clean one-pint jars. Divide the dill, garlic, dill seed, peppercorns, and horseradish equally between the jars. Pour hot Pickle Master over each jar and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 weeks. Pickles will keep refrigerated for up to 2 months.

Here is my all-time favorite type of pickle

Bread-And-Butter Pickles

Makes 2 one-quart jars

2 pounds pickling cucumbers (about 16), sliced into ½-inch rounds
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 cups cider vinegar (5-percent acidity)
1 cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp. dill seed
2 tsp. black peppercorns
2 tsp. mustard seed
½ tsp. ground clove
½ tsp. allspice berries

Toss the cucumbers and salt together in a colander and let drain for 90 minutes. Rinse cucumbers thoroughly in cold water, drain, transfer to 2 clean one-quart jars, and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients with ¾ cup water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat until sugar dissolves and mixture just comes to a boil—about 10 minutes. Pour hot liquid over the cucumbers until completely covered. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

Here’s one more way to make dill pickles that works.

Makes 1 one-pint wide-mouth jar

1 pound pickling cucumbers (about 8)
1 cup white distilled vinegar (5-percent acidity)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. dill seed, slightly crushed
1 tsp. mustard seed, slightly crushed
1 tsp. cracked peppercorns
¼ tsp. red-pepper flakes
1 cup fresh dill
4 cloves garlic, peeled

Combine the cucumbers, 1 cup water, vinegar, sugar, salt, dill seed, mustard seed, peppercorns and red pepper in a large bowl and let sit for 4 hours. Place the fresh dill and garlic in a clean one-pint wide-mouth jar. Remove the brined cucumbers, place in the prepared jar, and cover with brining liquid. Cover and refrigerate for 2 weeks. Pickles will keep refrigerated for up to 2 months.