I know it was a weird spring and start of summer, but my biggest disappointment was my meager showing of pickling cucumbers. I think I have an addiction problem because I eat probably six to seven of them a day, not including pickles with my sandwich for lunch and then cukes on my salad at dinner.
I’m lucky that my job takes me over the area in the course of the day so I can pop into Tendercrop Farm in Newbury or Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury for my fill of the crunchy green gourd, botanically speaking. I love half-sour pickles and have bought some over the years at the local supermarkets, Ba-Tampte or Nathan’s brand. I like them when they have the bright, clean shade of green and before they turn an olive color.
So instead of waiting for them to come in fresh, I’ve decided to make my own. They’re real easy, and I usually have two batches going to assure I don’t run out.
Half-Sour Pickles
Someone once mentioned that these aren’t really pickles, just cucumbers that have been threatened. These aren’t meant to be processed by hot water bath and jarred, they’re meant to be eaten fresh and will last two or three weeks in the fridge. Make sure you use pure salt, sold as pickling salt. Some sea salts may be all right, if there are no additives, like iodine, which can discolor the pickles.
5-6 large pickling cucumbers, cut in half or thirds
4 cups water
1/4 cup pickling salt
2 allspice berries
5 or 6 peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon dill seed
Couple of sprigs fresh dill
2 bay leaves, in pieces
5 cloves garlic, smashed
Dissolve the salt into the water. Lightly crush the allspice, peppercorns, coriander and mustard seeds in a mortar and pestle, and add to the brine.
Add the other flavoring ingredients and stir in. Add the cucumbers and refrigerate.
Stir about two or three times. They will be ready to eat in two to three days.
Sweet Refrigerator Pickles
Again, these are not meant to be canned, just eaten within two weeks.
4-5 large pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon salt, pickling or not
2 teaspoons each celery seed and mustard seed
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
Dissolve the sugar into the vinegar and set aside. Toss the sliced cucumbers and onion with the salt, celery seed and mustard seed, and mix well.
Let rest a half-hour and mix again. In another half-hour, add the vinegar and sugar.
Mix well and refrigerate. They can be eaten after two or three days.
thanks to: http://www.newburyportnews.com/lifestyle/x86506879/In-a-pickle
