Ive been on a hunt for a shelf-stable pickle recipe for a long, long time.
If youre buying pickling cucumbers at the grocery store, youve already lost the war.
You want to choose medium-sized, deep green cucumbers.
Yellowing is not a good sign, and they should never be soft.
I grow my own, but that doesnt mean you cant get ahold of fresh pickling cucumbers.
Most farms will bag up five or ten pounds specifically for picklers the day before markets.
Theyre great for Bloody Marys and charcuterie boards.
I also love pickled beets and carrots and kohlrabi.
Whatever you pickle, you must keep your vegetables really cold for 12 hours before pickling.
This can be your fridge or a cooler or sink with ice water.
This will also help clean your veggies.
Choose jars based on pickle sizes
Now, you better think about shapes and sizes.
For this, you have two factors: how you like to eat pickles and thejars you have available.
For instance, I love a spear, so I always usewide mouth pints.
I also prep some in low,wide mouth half pints, the perfect amount for a grill night.
(check that your hands are clean, as well.)
Now, the magic comes in.
To obtain tannins, you need unsprayed oak leaves or grape leaves.
For small jars, half a leaf is fine.
Into each pint jar, add 18 teaspoon calcium chloride, and 14 teaspoon for a quart.
For a half pint, add a dash.
Put the other half of the leaves aside.
It will soften the cucumber if you leave it on.
For spears, slice lengthwise in half and then each half, again.
Pack the jars
Theres an art to getting the maximum amount of vegetable into the jar.
Stuff as much as you could in there.
If you dont, use a knife sideways to slice off the extra.
Its heartbreaking to realize you cant eat a bunch of pickles youve made because theyre too hot.
Finally, on the top, fold the other half of the grape leaf.
That leaf will help hold the other ingredients under the brine.
Making the brine
If its pickle season, you should have brine around.
If you make too much, the leftover is shelf-stable and will get used, so dont sweat it.
This brine is half vinegar and half saltwater.
It must be canning salt, not table salt, which has additives in it.
Once the salt is dissolved, you’re able to turn the stove off.
That’s your guide.
You only need to tighten the ring until theres no more resistance.
It helps to cover the top of the container with plastic wrap to keep the heat in.
The next morning, remove the rings from all the jars.
These pickles are best if you wait a few weeks before trying them.
