Pickle girlies // guys // people unite! Today is devoted to you. I’ve always been about pickles, digging them out of the pickle container constantly stocked with Gherkins as a grubby fingered child, and now that I’m older with more refined tastes besides “tastes good” and “tastes bad,” I’m appreciative of a crisp tangy pickle as a palate cleanser or as a spirit lifter. Pickles are having a moment, and are everywhere in the food space right now! Not long ago, people were pan frying cheese and rolling up a pickle inside of it. Grillo’s Pickles are everywhere, as are a variety of flashy, chic pickle brands. Pickle flavored chips are a convenience store staple. PLUS pickle merch is having a moment right now! And I am not mad about any of this.
I will always eat the pickle that comes with a burger or deli sandwich, and I have a seemingly endless capacity for pickles. The worst thing about pickles is getting them out of the jar. It’s not only unsanitary to have everyone’s (or just mine tbh) fingers digging in the pickle jar, but the cold wet feeling is just - blegh! As a kid, we had the Tupperware pickle keeper, and as an adult, I have been *suffering* without one of my own. I find them at vintage stores all the time, but I can’t get over the lingering stale smell of pickles that were stored in there for 20 years before. SO, when I found this pickle picker at a small shop while on vacation, it was a no-brainer immediate purchase. Happy to report that my fingers have been dry and the pickles flowing ever since.
My pickle love really came to a head at a funeral I attended in rural Wisconsin in December of last year. The funeral luncheon was at the town hall (yes, they still have those in some places!) with over a 10 foot spread of all the upper midwest usual suspects: meat, potatoes, corn, Jell-O salads, and bars. Nestled between it all was a punch bowl full of pickles. I took a few with my plate and I’m telling you, they were out-of-this-world delicious. Like truly, the best (tangiest, balanced, crunchiest) pickles I’ve ever had. As we were leaving to drive home, I was telling my mother in-law how much I loved the pickles and she told me I should take a cup of them for the road. GENIUS. There was a lot leftover, and she did not have to tell me twice! They only lasted for the drive out of the very small town - I could not get over how good they were!
In the days that followed, my mother in-law called the ladies who coordinated the luncheon and told them how much I loved the pickles. They mailed her a handwritten recipe for the pickles that I now need to make this summer! Although they did emphasize how important the well water was to the recipe, which I don’t have access to living in a city, so if you have a hookup, let me know.
Pickle Any Veg
I’m not a person who cans vegetables and I don’t really want to be. Maybe someday I’ll get the itch to do that but right now, I’m happy with the hobbies I have and am more than happy to preserve food via a refrigerator pickle. Here is the recipe I have used since 2014 for refrigerator pickles of all varieties via The Kitchn. I’ve pickled green beans, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, onions, and beets with this recipe with great success. Pretty much everything is optional and customizable which is why I love it.
1 pound fresh veggies
2 sprigs fresh herbs (i.e. thyme, dil, rosemary)*
1-2 tsp whole spices (i.e. black peppercorns, coriander, mustard seeds)*
1 tsp dried herbs or ground spices*
1 cloves garlic, smashed or sliced*
1 c vinegar (i.e. white, apple cider, rice)
1 c water
1 tbsp kosher salt OR 2 tsp pickling salt
1 tbsp sugar*
* is optional
Prep 2 pint jars - sanitize them and dry completely.
Prep the veg - wash and dry them, plus:
Peel carrots
Trim ends of beans
Cut veg into desired shapes and sizes
Add herbs, spices, garlic, etc. if using.
Pack in the veg, leaving ½ in of space from top.
Make brine - vinegar, water, salt (and sugar) in saucepan on high heat. Bring to a boil, until salt and sugar dissolve. Pour over veg, leaving ½ in of space.
Tap the jars to remove air bubbles, and then seal.
Let jars cool to room temp before popping in the fridge. Wait 48 hours and then crack ‘em open!
These are good in the fridge for a couple months.
Things I Like
Tzatziki dip/sauce
Walking laps at the Mall of America during this cold and wet spring
Give a Girl a Knife by Amy Theilen (memoir, on audiobook)
Lmk if you have a well water hookup. Will pay for well water for pickles - I’m not joking. May your week be gentle and may you eat well.
pickles at every funeral, please!!!