Jalapeno Sour Dill Garden Cucumber Pickles in 4 Hours: The Simplest Garden Pickling Recipe Ever!
Ever wonder what to do with all your garden cucumbers? Make sour pickles using 5% apple cider vinegar. I have been doing this for years and have really been working on the recipes this season. It is really just this easy. Apple cider vinegar is 5% acidic. This level of acidity makes it almost impossible for bacteria to grow and pickling happens quickly. Add in salt and you have a pickling solution that preserves. We are not canning and therefore, I recommend storing your pickled garden produce in the refrigerator after they sit a couple of days, pickling.
Ingredients:
Cucumbers or any garden vegetable
5% apple cider vinegar
Salt
Garlic
Jalapeños (1-3)
Dill
Everything, but the vinegar and salt, came from my garden. You can adjust the recipe however you want by varying the pickling ingredients. The combinations are really endless. This is basically just vinegar and cucumbers, seasoned as you wish. They are more sour than typical pickles, as we are using a 5% acidic solution but the sourness mellows over a weeks time. I like them at all stages.
You can use any type of container but metal. Acid (vinegar) and certain metals can react creating a metallic flavor, which of course you don’t want.
Step One:
Slice the desired amount of cucumbers (any thickness you prefer) until the container or containers are filled with cucumbers. Leave enough room for the vinegar to just cover the cucumber slices on top. In the pictures I used two 12 inch ‘Marketmore’ cucumbers. I think this variety is the best slicing pickling cucumber out there.
Step Two:
I added 2 tablespoons of salt to this batch. Salt to your taste. It can also be omitted.
Step Three:
Add 1 or 2 cloves of pressed garlic. You can also just thinly slice the garlic cloves. Again this is based on your taste preference.
Step Four:
Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh dill.
Step Five:
Thinly slice 1-3 jalapenos based on how hot you would like the batch to be. Removing seeds and pith does reduce the heat. Add the peppers to the brine and mix the ingredients lightly.
Step Six:
Cover and let them sit on the counter for 1 or 2 days. They are really partially pickled in about 4 hours and I do eat them. I actually eat them very often over the whole pickling period. So good! They are fully pickled in about 12 hours. The flavors mellow and combine more over 1-2 days. After they are pickled to your liking, refrigerate.
Now, as stated, we aren’t canning for storage outside the refrigerator. I recommend researching how 5% acidity manages food bacteria and you can make a decision based on that. Refrigeration after a couple days is the best way to go. If you are nervous about food bacteria, refrigerate these right away. The process will still work. I also pickle beets, kohlrabi, radishes, radish pods, daylily flowers, and other vegetables this way. Enjoy!
“A Garden Wants to Give”Cheers!
Gary (The Rusted Garden)