I decided to make one spicy pickle this year to give away as gifts since my family is not big on hot foods. I chose a recipe from Emeril Lagasse. I found these pickles really easy to make and one of the prettiest pickles that I have ever made. Most pickles just look like green disks floating in some yellowish liquid, but these pickles looked festive with the chunky cuts of garlic and red pepper chunks floating among the green cucumber disks. These pickles present themselves as the perfect Christmas pickle.
When I tasted the pickles they were not too hot. The sweetness of sugar made the hot chilies seem less over whelming. I think I am going to make these pickles again next year as gifts because they do present so well and they are so easy to make.
Find this recipe here: http://creatingnirvanatoday.blogspot.com/2010/11/sweet-and-spicy-pickles.html
