Very Quick Pickles

Quick pickles are just that, pickles that are made very quickly. They're not only quick, they're super easy to make. Once you learn this method, you'll never buy store-bought pickles again!

Quick pickles make a great snack, and will impress your friends at Summer BBQs and other parties. For those that indulge in cocktails, homemade quick-pickled asparagus is especially delicious in a Bloody Mary drink :)

Quick Pickles
Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 25 min
Makes about 40 pickle slices

Ingredients:

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 clove cracked garlic, peel removed
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill, or 1-2 tsp dried dill
• 1 pinch cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp agave nectar, honey or white sugar
• 8 kirby cucumbers (aka pickling cucumbers), cut into 1-inch slices on an angle

Recipe
Add vinegar, sugar, salt, and garlic to a small sauce pan and heat over medium high heat.  Cook until it begins to simmer and salt and sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Toss the dill, pepper and sliced cucumbers together in a glass bowl and pour in the simmering liquid; toss to evenly coat.  Chill in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before serving. Toss the container every five minutes or so for the first 20 minutes to keep the cucumbers coated in the brine.

Your Quick Pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in an air-tight glass container. I think they are the best after one day, but can be enjoyed as soon as 20 minutes after making.

Second use:
Save and use your pickling brine for other recipes.

• Mix equal parts brine with olive oil and whisk together for a yummy dill salad dressing. Use on a salad or pour over cooked, chopped red potatoes for a dairy-free potato salad.
• Add 1-2 tbsp brine + chopped celery and chopped red onion to albacore tuna to make a dairy free tuna salad.

Variations:

• Add a pinch or two of whole mustard seed to the cucumber and dill mixture.
• Add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes to the cucumber and dill mixture for spicy pickles.
• Any veggies can be pickled - or quick pickled - add in jalapenos, sliced onions, or asparagus.
• Any cucumbers will do, but the little kirby pickling ones are the crunchiest and retain the most color. Look for other cucumbers with thin skin and that aren't coated with wax. Persian cucumbers also work well.
• Use 2tbsp of sugar in this recipe to make sweet pickles.