Welcome to Season 3! We’re making a lot of pickles today, 5 different kinds to be exact. “If you’ll just take a little time to learn a few basic procedures, not only the whole produce section but the whole world will be your pickle and good eats.” -AB

It’s true, as you’ll see in following recipes, they all sort of follow a pattern. You’ll be pickling pretty much anything you want it no time at all! I enjoyed the process, but waiting a week to try them was a little daunting. I’m a “want it now” kinda girl. I was good though and waited the full week before digging in.

For the cucumber pickles, we have one jar of sweet and one jar of sour. They have the same basic ingredients, one just has a little more sugar than the other.

Slice up the cucumbers and onions and measure out your spices

Put the cucumbers and onions in jars

 Make sure you alternate stacking so you have a little cucumber and onion in every layer

Simmer liquids with the spices and pour in the jar

Sweet Pickles

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon pickling spice

Directions

Combine onion and cucumber slices in a clean spring-top jar.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the flavors of the spices.

Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slice, completely filling the jar. Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature before topping off with any remaining pickling liquid. Refrigerate.

Refrigerate the pickles for a week to ripen. They will keep for about 2 months in the refrigerator.

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Sour Pickles

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon pickling spice
4 whole garlic cloves, smashed

Directions

Combine the onion and cucumber slices in a clean spring-top jar.

Combine the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the garlic, in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the spice flavors.

Add the garlic cloves to the jar. Slowly and gently pour the pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slices, filling to the top of the jar.

Cool to room temperature. Top off the pickles with any remaining pickling liquid and refrigerate.

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Verdict on these…The sweet were WAY too sweet. I don’t like sweet pickle to start with, but they were not Good Eats to me. The sour however were a definite winner. Next time I would cut the sugar to 1/4 cup, but they were really delicious!

---

Next up cauliflower. Yes you can pickle cauliflower, who knew! Not me anyway.

The liquid process is still the same, we’re just changing up the spices a bit.

Crush all the spices up with a Mortar and Pestle.

Toast them in a pan with Canola oil

Hurry Curry Cauliflower

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 whole clove garlic, smashed
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 cup water
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pickling salt

Directions

Heat the canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Crush the cumin seed with the coriander seed and add to the pan. Add the curry powder, ginger, and garlic to the pan. Cook these spices, stirring until the oil colors and the spices are fragrant. Add the cauliflower florets to the pan and toss to coat.

In a lidded plastic container, combine the water, rice wine vinegar, cider vinegar, sugar, and pickling salt. Shake to combine.

Once the cauliflower is slightly tender, add it to a glass jar. Pour the pickling liquid over the cauliflower, filling to the top of the jar. Cool, chill, and store the pickles for 1 week to allow the flavors to develop thoroughly.

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com 

These were surprisingly good! I wasn’t sure what to expect, never having pickled cauliflower before, but the spices were on point. Good Eats!

---

And now on to the carrots. I was most excited to try these!

Firecrackers

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 pound mini carrots
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 dried chilies

Directions

Place carrots in a spring-top glass jar. Bring the water, sugar, cider vinegar, onion powder, mustard seeds, salt, and chili flakes to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan. Boil for 4 minutes.

Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots, filling the jar to the top. Place the chilies in the jar. Allow the carrots to cool before sealing. Refrigerate for 2 days up to 1 week.

Recipe Courtsey of FoodNetwork.com

These were a bit of a let down. They had a good flavor, but weren’t nearly spicy enough. I would double the spice  next time. They have definite potential.

---

Finally, fruit. Never would I have thought to pickle fruit, but this is what I love about making all these recipes, you get to try new things! Again same basic pickling principle as with the veggies.

Summer Fruits

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 Bartlett pear, thinly sliced
1 red plum, seeded and quartered
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, slivered
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 sprig fresh mint

Directions

Place the pear, plum, lemon, and fresh ginger in a bowl. In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and rice wine vinegar. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves.

Place the fruit mixture into a spring-top glass jar and add the sprig of mint to the fruit. Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the fruit, filling the jar to the top.

Cool the pickles, then refrigerate for 2 days up to 1 week before serving.

Recipe Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

These were not bad. Not my favorite thing, but an interesting flavor, sweet and tangy. Good summer dessert, definitely refreshing!

There you have it, Pickles 5 ways. Are you now inspired to try Pickling on your own?