Summer is the time when most veggies are at their peak. While the goodies can be eaten raw or cooked, one of the best ways to add a dimension of flavor is by pickling them.
The pickling process tends to take a few days to complete, but if you can’t wait that long for crunchy cucumbers with a bit of zing, “quickling” is the way to go. This method creates pickled veggies in just a few hours, but because the fermentation process hasn’t fully finished, it’s best to eat them in a day or two.
Ingredients:
• 1½ cups of vinegar
• 1½ cups of water
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 2½ tablespoons of kosher salt
• Seasonings (e.g. citrus zest, spices, aromatics, herbs)
Instructions:
- Trim and cut 1 pound of vegetables or fruit into evenly thick pieces. Thicker slices might keep your produce crunchier, while those on the thinner side have a better chance of wilting.
- Combine vinegar, water, sugar, kosher salt, and seasonings in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. If using seasonings, cover the mixture and let it steep off the heat for 10 minutes.
- Rinse your jars under hot running water until heated through (around 1-2 minutes) and shake dry. Tempering glass helps prevent it from cracking when the hot brine is added. You can use any heatproof container with a tight-fitting lid.
- Tightly pack your fruit and veggies into the jars. Return the brine to a brief boil and ladle over produce to cover (a funnel will help contain brine but is not essential), distributing any aromatics and spices evenly among the jars.
- Let the jars cool completely, cover with lids, and refrigerate until pickles are evenly flavored. Pickling times will depend on the thickness and porosity of the produce pieces: thin-sliced onions and radishes are ready when cool, cucumber chips can take 24 hours, and root vegetables might take days.
