The Perfect Pickle takes months to make. First you have to grow your cukes. I grow Northern Picklers because they grow well here with our short season. It is said these produce fruit so fast, you’d best check them every day and that’s spot on in my opinion.
Before you start your pickles, make sure your jars and tools are sterilized.
For about 6 cukes, you’ll need:
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup salt
- 6 garlic cloves, halved
- 6 cups water
- 2 to 3 whole dill sprigs
Rinse your cucumbers and place them in a clean container. Be sure to leave some room for the pickling liquid (an unsubmerged cucumber will never be a pickle). Bring water, salt, coriander, chili flakes, mustard seed, black peppercorn, bay leaves and garlic to a boil. Let your pickling liquid cool down completely, then pour over your cucumbers. Add the dill. Place in the refrigerator for at least a week before tasting (it may take up to 2 or 3 weeks if you have really fat cukes).
This recipe will make really tasty pickles. Perhaps part of what makes them so delicious is the knowledge that they were grown and prepared with love.
We ate our first batch of the year today with barbeque short ribs.
Happy pickling!
