Pickling recipes

[Enhance]

I took my first ever foray into pickling last week, mostly on a whim. But, I had NO idea that everything would turn out so well. Home made pickles are better than any store bought pickle I've ever had.

 

I'd be interested to know what kinds of things fellow board members have pickled, if you have any favorite recipes, tips, etc. My wife and I also started planting vegetables in a garden this year (mostly tomatoes/cucumbers), but I think we're going to expand to a wider variety next year.

[Enhance]

Here are the recipes I used for pickles and pickled red onions:

 

Ingredients for pickles (fills two pint sized mason jars):

• One thinly sliced cucumber (I did English)
• Four smashed and peeled garlic cloves
• Two bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• large pinch of salt
• large pinch of sugar

For pickled red onions (fills two pint sized mason jars):

• One thinly sliced red onion
• One thinly sliced jalepeno
• 3-4 tablespoons of fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 water
• Large pinch of salt
• Large pinch of sugar

[DevoHusker]

A friend does pickled hardboiled eggs. They are stupendously good. Bit of a bite, so he spices the brine with something. I will see if I can get his recipe.  

[RedDenver]

I've had hits and misses with salt brine pickling, but sugar pickling (like Depression Era pickles aka Bread and Butter pickles) in the frig always works.

[knapplc]

This is my grandmother's dill pickle recipe. She was a farm wife and had no written recipes, so my mom basically watched her make these and wrote down what she did. The notes after the asterisks are mine.

 

Dill Pickles

1 Cup White Vinegar (5% acidity)
3 Cups Water*
1/4 Cup (scant) pickling salt
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp alum (optional)
2-3 heads dill per jar

 

Boil vinegar, water, salt & garlic for a short time.  Pour over cucumbers, dill and alum in hot jar. Let jars stand in hot water about 20 mins till green disappears.  Leave upstairs for yellowish green, about 4-5 days --> unless you put them in hot water.  Then can take to cellar.  Ready to eat in 3 weeks.  Hot water to neck of jar. **

 

* You cannot use water from your tap with chlorine and fluoride - it will make the pickles mushy.  Use purified water, or well water if you can find it.

 

** These are the ingredients and instructions exactly as written.  The arrow goes to text that sits a line or two below the paragraph - I stuck it in there to make it easier to read.  I presume you want to start this recipe by boiling some quart jars to get them heated.  Fish them out of the hot water, but keep the water.  As quickly as possible, pack each jar with pickles, dill and alum (I would use the alum), leaving about one to 1 1/2 inches of space between the cucumbers and the top of the jar.  Pour the hot brine over this as quickly as possible, and if at all possible try to get some garlic in each jar.  Seal each jar firmly, then place the whole thing back in the water.  I would leave them in for about 20 minutes, then remove them from the water and let cool.  

 

[RedDenver]

If you like the pickles to stay crisp, then you'll want some tannins in the brine. I've had good success with using bay leaves.

[knapplc]

17 minutes ago, RedDenver said:

If you like the pickles to stay crisp, then you'll want some tannins in the brine. I've had good success with using bay leaves.

 

That's why I use alum.

[RedDenver]

35 minutes ago, knapplc said:

 

That's why I use alum.

I thought that might be what it was for but wasn't sure. I always have bay leaves around for cooking, so they're a bit more convenient for me.

[knapplc]

2 minutes ago, RedDenver said:

I thought that might be what it was for but wasn't sure. I always have bay leaves around for cooking, so they're a bit more convenient for me.

 

Alum is pretty easy to get at most stores, but I think pretty much everyone has bay leaves in their house.

 

I didn't know they have tannins. Is that why people use them?

 

[RedDenver]

31 minutes ago, knapplc said:

 

Alum is pretty easy to get at most stores, but I think pretty much everyone has bay leaves in their house.

 

I didn't know they have tannins. Is that why people use them?

 

I only read about the tannins for pickling. I don't know why they're used in a lot of other cooking - I just follow the recipe.