“Oh! They’re so good! Instant pickles!” -Karin, eyes wide, taste-testing a slice this morning.
These cukes were too cute to pass up and the market vendor, approving of my culinary venture, gave me a free bunch of flowering dill. As a first timer to the pickling process, I am pleased to report that it was simple, satisfying, and just a delightful way to spend the first day of Fall.
Ingredients
10 tiny cucumbers
1/4 bunch or ~10 sprigs flowering dill
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tbsp black peppercorns
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
2 tbsp salt (I used pink Himalayan— while pickling salt is recommended to avoid discolouration, I found that they turn out just fine with any other salt).
1 tsp granulated sugar
Directions
Find three medium-sized jars with matching lids and submerge them in a big pot filled with water, turning off the heat when it reaches a boil. This sanitizes your pickle vessels, allowing for a safe and clean final product.
In a separate saucepan, bring vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a boil, then remove from heat.
Remove glass jars carefully from hot water (I found that pouring out all the liquid from the pot and then removing the jars with oven mitts worked nicely). Place them on a wooden cutting board or dishcloth—avoid sudden temperature changes such as cold marble or metal.
Divide garlic cloves, peppercorns and dill equally into the jars.
Cut off both ends of cukes and slice lengthwise into quarters.
Fill each jar with as many cukes can fit snugly. Top off each jar with the boiled vinegar liquid, leaving about an inch and a half to spare or until cukes are submerged.
Screw on the lids and bring jars to a gentle boil in a big pot of water for 10 minutes. This will seal the jars up and also result in some exciting pickle-y colour changes.
(The aforementioned sanitization/canning process isn’t entirely necessary if you’re going for a quick pickle that you will consume within weeks— it’s mostly for longer-term preservation, like snacking on a pickle in 2020—but I had the time so I gave it a go).