During the summer, I snack on half sour pickles a lot. The ones from Fairway are especially crunchy which I love, yet way too salty to snack on alone. So I decided it’s time to take pickling into my own hands. After researching half sour pickles online, I was less than impressed with how little creativity goes into pickling. I decided to go free form and make my own. I bought some jars from Ikea, produce from Trader Joe’s and spices from Sahadi’s. Then all you really need is the pickling brine (pickling juice). The spices and veggies you choose to pickle are completely up to you. Everything I picked came out delicious, but the snap peas were my favorite. Stay tuned for the second post where I’ll share the results!
RECOMMENDED PICKLING VEGGIES
Sugar snaps (the best)
Radishes
Brown Tomatoes, Baby Tomatoes
Celery
Baby Bell Peppers
BASIC PICKLING SPICE (makes about 3 Jars)
1-2 large clove garlic, unpeeled
2-3 generous tsp pickling spice
Big chunk of fresh dill
**I added fresh ginger, uncut jalapenos, and extra yellow mustard seeds to give it a kick.
HALF SOUR PICKLE BRINE (makes about 3 Jars)
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup white vinegar (must be above 5% acidity level)
8 cup water
7 BASIC STESPS TO PICKLING
1…Wash your produce thoroughly.
2…Stuff your uncut (so they stay extra crunchy) veggies/fruit tightly into jars, leaving a little room for the brine.
3…Add your dry pickling spices (recipe above). And have fun experimenting with different flavors.
4…Pour over the boiling brine (recipe above) in the jar to the very top.
5…Make sure all your veggies/fruits are fully submerged (try weighing it down with a cup). Failure to do so will result in mold.
6…Leave out your unclosed jars of pickles unrefrigerated for 36-48 hrs. The longer you leave it out the more sour it will become.
7… Refrigerate and enjoy! Your half sour pickles will last up to 4 weeks.
