in a pickle {november 4, 2022}

While we were away for a long weekend and quite a few of my veggies began their journey to the trash can. They weren't spoiled, just a little wrinkled, and still good enough to eat. French breakfast radishes, a red Italian stuffing pepper, half an English cucumber (this is beginning to sound like a meeting of the United Nations), a few rings from an Ohio candy onion, a hot banana pepper grown on my friend's farm, and a good ole Kroger carrot could have made their way into a salad but I wanted to do something different for their last days in the fridge. Pickles.

Making is pickles a quick, easy, and delicious way to preserve many garden vegetables, especially those forgotten few from the veggie bin. My go-to recipe comes from page 57 in Joshua McFadden's Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables. It's a low acid with a touch of sweetness brine that doesn't overpower the taste of the vegetables.

Basic Pickle Brine

1/2 c. rice vinegar

1 T. white wine vinegar

1 1/2 c. hot water

5 T. sugar (I cut it down to 4 T.)

1 T. plus 1 t. kosher salt

Put everything in a pot or big pitcher and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

Using a clean canning jar, fill with your vegetable(s) in a way that shows off their beauty, pour the brine until the vegetables are completely covered and the jar is full, and screw on the cap. Refrigerate for up to 2 months. Start tasting after the first day to see how the flavor and texture are developing. They are ready to eat as soon as you think they are.