It pains me to say that our glorious summer days are coming to an end. The sunrise is no longer at 5:30 am, it isn't hitting 80˚F until maybe noon (people here think that’s cold, by the way!), and pumpkin flavored everything is hitting the stores everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, fall is incredible—the colors, the smells, the sweaters, our wedding next fall, it’s all truly magical—but I must say that as I have been obsessively baking with super fresh ingredients, I’m going to miss summer a lot.
I started to think What’s the best way for me to keep my summer produce for a few months longer? Hmm, freezing it? Drying it? How about pickling it??!! Yes was the answer to that! Fresh vegetable, herbs, and some citrus—all of these things with a nice homemade brine, and you’ve got yourself some pickled vegetables!
The thing that is really so much fun about picking your own produce, is that the flavor combinations are endless! Whether you want to make it sweet, spicy, full of herbs, or a bit of everything, you can choose whatever flavor palette you enjoy. I have given a few examples of what I like, but don’t let it stop you from being super creative on your own!
So now even though pumpkin spice is back in your coffee cups and those big cozy sweaters with leggings are the go-to outfit, there’s no reason why we can’t drag summer out a few more months!
cucumber pickle ingredients
Dill—5 sprigs
Peppercorns—1 tsp
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Lemon—½, sliced
Garlic Cloves—2
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Mustard Seeds—1 ½ tsp
Dill—5 sprigs
cauliflower pickle ingredients
Red Pepper Flakes—½ tsp
Garlic Clove—1
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Mustard Seeds—¾ tsp
Small Sweet Pepper—1, chopped, seeds included
Cilantro—3 sprigs
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Mustard Seeds—¾ tsp
Lemon—½, sliced
brine ingredients
White Distilled Vinegar—8 oz, or 1 C
Water—16 oz, or 2 C
Salt—1/5 oz, or 2 TBL
Sugar—0.4 oz, or 2 tsp
process
Boil all of the brine ingredients together in a medium pot.
Pour over each of your jars filled with the vegetables and herbs/spices, making sure that the brine is fully covering everything in the jar.
I like to transfer the hot brine into a glass measuring cup so that it is easier to pour, therefore no spills or burns will happen!
Cover each container with their lids and allow to cool.
Once fully cooled, refrigerate so that they can continue to pickle!
After about 2 weeks, your vegetables should be pickled. You may test them after a few days or a week and use your best judgment to make sure that they have been soaking in the brine long enough and full of flavor!
Bon Appétit!