PICKLES, QUICK
By:
EVOO Cookbook
This is not true pickling; rather, we use vinegar to get the job done quickly. We have pickled several vegetables and fruits using this recipe, including, cherries, shallots, white onion, fresh corn, kohlrabi, carrot coins, cucumber, radish, red peppers etc.
Our December 2012 Dinner Show included pickled red peppers that seemed like hot peppers because we used the option in the recipe to add chili pepper flakes to the brine. Many of us thought the pepper was giving the heat but it was just a little sweet red pepper afterall.
For our June 2014 Dinner Show we pickled cherries with this recipe.
Because we have pickled so many varieties of produce, we let you choose your produce and spices.
Ingredients:
2 quarts cleaned and cut vegetables or fruits of choice
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1 quart ice cubes
- 1-2 cups sugar
- 2 1/2- 3 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons spice (dried dill, whole clove, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, and fennel pollen)
Method:
Place cut produce of choice into a stainless steel or glass container with salt and cover with ice; leave at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Meantime in saucepan, bring sugar, vinegar and your choice of spices to boil. Hold hot.
Drain/dry melted ice from bowl of produce; leaving some ice is okay. Without rinsing off the salt, add the hot vinegar & spice mixture to the produce. Leave on produce 3-5 minutes, until produce has cooled.
Chill uncovered until temperature drops to 40° or below. Place in very clean dry container and cover until needed. Keep refrigerated.
Chef’s Note: When using pitted fruit, you can decide to leave whole and pit when using them. They will be less apt to fragment before serving if pitted after pickling.
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