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+ servings

Kinda Sorta Sour Pickles

Crispy, crunchy homemade slightly sour pickles.
The goal of pickling is to stop the march of time by shutting down enzymatic action in the target food and by rendering it either inhospitable to or unavailable to microbes, germs, little meanies and so on.
Leftover pickle brine can be added to marinades, salad dressings, or mayonnaise. Oh, and pickle juice in beer really is quite refreshing.
This recipe first appeared in Season 3 of Good Eats.
Homemade pickles packed vertically in two mason jars.
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2 days 40 minutes
Yield: 1 quart

Software

  • 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced or cut into spears
  • 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Champagne vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon pickling spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

Procedure

  • Combine cucumber and onion in a clean spring-top jar.
  • Combine the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the garlic, in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the spice flavors.
  • Add the garlic cloves to the jar. Slowly and gently pour the pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slices, filling to the top of the jar.
  • Cool to room temperature. Top off the pickles with any remaining pickling liquid and refrigerate for 2 days or up to 1 week before serving.