WetLeather Recipe Database - food for bikers

Name:	Fast Pickles	Contributor:	Lisa Karst, Martin Golding
Description:	Thoughts on fast pickles	Posted:	2006-10-27
Key words:	pickle	Category:	Side Dishes
ID:	798	Updated:	2006-11-15 09:49:24
Ingredients:	From a Primer for Pickles, a Reader for Relish: 2 qt distilled white vinegar salt to taste sugar (1 c for sour, 4-6 c for sweet or fruit) in a muslin bag: 1.5 tsp allspice 1.5 tsp cloves 1/2 stick cinnamon 1/2 piece mace or 1/4 tsp ground (other pickling spices to taste)
Preparation:	Boil for 15 minutes. Cool covered and set aside for 2 weeks or more before removing spices. Store in glass or ceramic. Pick cucs of medium size, slice or split. Wash. Soak overnight in brine of 1/2 c. pickling salt to 4 q. water. Drain and rinse. Bring spiced vinegar to a boil, pour over pickles. Seal and store in refrigerator. Ready in a week or two. Martin Golding adds: I slice thinly with a mandoline (say 1/16"-18", nearer 1/16 for garlic, thicker for cucumber). Spread out and salt heavily, toss and let sit for 15-30 minutes to soften and start pulling the water out. Drain, maybe wring cucumbers out in a towel, add vinegar and/or citrus juice diluted with water to taste, spices to taste, sweeten lightly to taste. (I use lots of black pepper, occasionally garlic, sometimes a heap of crushed mustard seeds). It's very hands-on, taste and toss. You could make a couple of quarts of the seasoned vinegar, then whip up fresh pickles in a few moments of spare time while making the rest of dinner. I must try that.
Notes:	By varying the amount of sugar in this recipe, you can make quick sweet or sour pickles or pickled vegetables and fruits at any time. This vinegar will keep well for a long time, if properly stored. The virtue of this Basic Spiced Vinegar is that it has been aged before using; thus, when poured over the food to be pickled, it will yield a product ready to be eaten soon. Quick-pickled products should be kept in the refrigerator.
Equipment: