In my opinion, if you’re not a pickle lover, you’re absolutely nuts. On a sandwich for an added bite, alongside homemade barbecue, as a savory snack with afternoon cocktails, or just straight from the jar, pickles are good on any occasion.
And while I’ll never discriminate against any pickle, my all-time favorite are the incredibly sweet, tangy and crunchy bread & butter variety.
Which is why, of course, I made some at home. These uncanned pickles have hints of brown sugar, ginger and Thai chili, and they’re incredibly easy to make.
Here’s how:
Ingredients yields a 1-quart jar
**Pickling cucumbers are smaller than your average cucumber, about 1 to 1 ¼ inch thick work best. Choose the freshest cucumbers you can; the fresher the produce, the crisper the pickles will be.
Directions
Prep vegetables:
Wash and scrub cucumbers thoroughly. Use a knife or crinkle bladed mandoline attachment to cut cucumbers into ¼ inch slices, discarding the ends. Thinly slice onion, and half cloves of garlic.
Toss sliced vegetables together in a large bowl and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Mix well and cover mixture with ice. Let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours (can also be refrigerated overnight).
Drain and rinse the vegetables, tasting for saltiness. You want them to be salty, but not overly so.
Make Pickling Liquid:
Bring a pot of sugar, vinegar, spices and split chilies to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Combine & Jar:
Pour the hot pickling liquid over the cucumber mixture and let sit, uncovered, at room temperature for 1 hour.
Add to large jar, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours (cucumbers will start to pickle within a few hours, but wait the whole time for the full effect – it’s worth it!).
Your crispy, sweet bread & butter pickles will last up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
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This article appears in Sep 6-12, 2012.
