Pickle Recipes - Crab Apples

Before you pickle anything, make sure it tastes good.

1 cinnamon stick, broken
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 pounds crab apples

Pute the spices into a spice bag or tie them in a scrap of cheesecloth. Put them in a non-reactive pot with the vinegar, sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then remove it from the heat and cool.

Pierce each apple through with a large needle or skewer to keep it from bursting. Put the apples into the syrup and bring it slowly to a simmer. Simmer the apples for about 15 minutes, until they are tender and translucent. Remove the spice bag.

Pack the apples into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch headspace. Bring the remaining syrup to a boil and pour it over the apples (leaving the 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace). Seal the jars with hot two-piece caps.

Pickle Recipes - Brined Lemons

Thin-skinned whole lemons.
1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water

Wash the lemons.
Put the lemons into a jar or crock and cover them with brine.
Weight the lemons with a freezer bag filled with brine.
Store the lemons in a cool place for 20 days.
Enjoy!

Pickle Recipes - Giardiniera

Giardiniera is a pickle that uses any of a variety of vegetables. Essentally you can use whatever you have at hand. Some suggestions include celery, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, peppers or asparagus.

3 quarts of prepared vegetables (whatever you have, chopped into bite-sized pieces)
6 bay leaves
12 garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons peppercorns
6 oregano sprigs
4 teaspoons pickling salt
2 3/4 cups white wine vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons olive oil

Put 1 bay leaf, 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns into 6 pint jars.
Pack the vegetables into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Add an oregano sprig to each jar.
In a non-reactive pan boil the vinegar, water salt. Dissolve the salt.
Pour the liquid over the vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Top each jar with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Close the jars with hot two-piece lids and boiling-water bath them for 20 minutes.
Store them in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks before eating.

Marinated Mushrooms

12 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound small button mushrooms (cleaned)
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teasp0on dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
4 teaspoons chopped parsley
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon pickling salt

Put the shitake mushrooms into a blow and pour boiling water over them. Let them soak for 5 minutes and then drain them.
In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Saute the mushrooms over medium low heat until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Set them aside in a bowl.
In a non-reactive pan, simmer the garlic, shallots and vinegar. Add the herbs, bay, salt and remaining olive oil.
Pour the liquid over the mushrooms.
Pack the mushrooms and their liquid into a jar (or jars).
Store the mushrooms in the refrigerator for a week before eating.

Pickle Recipes - Snap Beans

2 Pounds Trimmed Snap Beans
6 small dried chile peppers
6 garlic cloves, corsely chopped
12 crushed black peppercorns
6 dill heads
1/2 cup pickling salt
3 quarts water

Layer the beans, peppers, garlic, peppercorns and dill in a 1 gallon jar.
Dissolve the salt into the water.
Power enough brine over the beans to cover them.
Put a freezer bag into the mouth of the jar and fill the bag with brine and seal the bag.
Within 3 days you should see tiny bubbles forming in the jar. Skim off any skum that forms and rinse the bag daily.
The pickles will be ready in about 2 weeks when the bubbles have stopped and the beans are sour.
Remove the brine bag, skim off any skum and cap the jar. Store the jar in the fridge.

Pickle Recipes - Quick Dills

4 pounds cucumbers washed and stemmed
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1 garlic bulb
6 small chile peppers (if you like spicy)
6 dill heads with fronds
2 3/4 cups vinegar (cider vinegar preferred)
3 cups water
1/4 cup pickling salt

The peppercorns, peppers, and garlic are all optional but they do make for some tasty pickles.

Put the spices into your jars (6 pints).
Put your cucumbers and dill into the jars.
Put everything else into a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Simmer until the salt is dissolved.
Pour the brine over the cucumbers. Leave 1/2 inch headspace.
Close the jar with hot two-piece caps.
Boiling-water bath for 10 minutes (15 minutes if you use quarts).
Store in a cool, dark place for about a month and then enjoy!

Pickle Recipes - Fried Dill Pickles

You can use pickle spears or pickle slices for frying dill pickles.

Here is a quick and easy recipe:

1 egg
2 Tablespoons buttermilk

Beat the egg and the buttermilk together, throw in your pickles. Set these aside for a minute.

1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspon baking powder
picnch of salt

Mix all that together. Toss your egg-coated pickles in the flour mixture until they are evenly coated with flour. Then drop them into hot oil (375 degrees) and fry until golden brown (about 2 minutes).

If you are feeling adventurous add 1/2 teaspon chile powder (or more if you like) to your flour mixture. You can also try garlic powder, onion powder or ground mustard (or all of them) to give your fried pickles a unique flavor.