“So, these are from your garden?” he asked, showing the proper amount of curiosity, knowing how excited I was to share my new pickles.
“Yep! I picked that cucumber two days ago and put him straight into the jar. From the vine to the brine!”
“Wow!” he said, eyes wide, as he crunched down on a fridge pickle. “These are actually really good!”
And that my friends, is why we garden.
Ok, it’s not the only reason, but it sure is satisfying to see your hard work become delicious food. Zero-hesitation food is what I’m after. Grab it without thinking food, that is healthy. When we grow our veggies, we eat them. The goal is to use everything we harvest, and to make it the star of the show. I want our family to know food better – and know better food. To appreciate it, savor it, and realize that what we grow will taste better, and that what we consume impacts not just us, but also the world at large. Literally, the actual earth.
I was discussing the future of my cucumbers with my step-mother recently and she said her pickles never had a crunch. It made me think that the cooling of the brine is probably what does that. Be sure to let your brine cool around the cucumbers before putting them in the fridge. You don’t want that hot water trapped inside the jar. Similar to leftovers, which should always cool on the counter before going into the fridge to save them from being soggy (in case you didn’t know, and were experiencing smooshy leftovers).
Happy pickling, friends!
Quick Refrigerator Pickles
Recipe for one 24 oz jar
INGREDIENTS
1 large cucumber
2cup water
1 cup vinegar
2teaspn sugar
2 teaspn dill
Salt
Pepper
2 garlic cloves cut in half
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put water, vinegar, and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until dissolved (about 3 mins.) to make a brine.
- Let sit and cool off burner for about 5 mins.
- Cut your cucumber into spears, and place into jar with garlic, dill, salt and pepper.
- Pour brine into jar.
- Let jar reach room temperature on the counter.
- Refrigerate overnight for one night.