First Time Pickler

Yesterday was an intensely domestic day for me...in fact, so was today. This weekend I've made marshmallows (you will read about it soon enough Angie and Karen...I'm trying to get the recipe just right), biscuits, two batches of mascrarpone ice cream, candied cherries AND PICKLES! It was my first time pickling anything and so I was a tad nervy about the results but the little bread and butter bites of deliciousness do taste pretty darn good according to the chief taste tester, Collin Murray. I didn't start out the weekend intending to pickle but after a trip to the Greenmarket on Saturday morning when I found these:


I just couldn't resist. I had read on Smitten Kitchen's website a recipe that looked easy enough for a first time pickler, and low and behold it was. I've changed it a little from her original recipe because I'm not a fan of super sweet pickles. If you are, feel free to increase the sugar just a touch. Similarly, Collin Murray and I will likely decrease the amount of coriander and mustard seeds next time to half because as the pickles "age" the spices intensify but again, use your own taste buds as your guide.

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yields about 4 cups o' pickles

1 pound baby cucumbers, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1 medium vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar (or 3/4 cup if you like a sweeter pickle)
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon mustard seeds (1/2 tablespoon is your less inclined to spice)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds (as above, 1/2 tablespoon is your less inclined to spice)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

In a medium bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers, sliced onion and salt. Mix well, I used my hands and they worked better than any spoon in the drawer.


Then cover the mixture with ice -- I know this is weird but just scatter enough ice on top of the cucumbers and onions so that they are covered and let the ice do whatever magic it does for two hours at room temperature.

Just before the two hours is up, combine the sugar, vinegar, turmeric, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and celery seeds and bring to a boil.


Then, drain the cucumbers and onions and add them to the vinegar mixture; bring back to a boil. Once boiled, quickly remove from the heat and cool.


I put my pickles in a bowl and set them into a larger bowl of ice to chill them quickly but You could just leave them in the pot to cool too.

Store the pickles in an sealed container in the fridge for up to three weeks. We began eating them almost immediately but technically you should wait a couple of hours before trying them...