Pickling The Last Bits of Summer With Easy Brine and Binge Watching

It's the end of August and the kids are back at school, and now you can make the most of what is left of the long hot summer days, but by yourself! Are you in the pool with the large mattress float, are you exercising with the music blaring, or how about binge-watching your favorite shows on the patio (with a huge bucket of popcorn)?


Whatever you're doing, I hope that you can find your beachy waves if you want them still.

Source: Pinterest

For myself, I deep clean the house! So many neglected spots and dust bunnies, I've lost count. I also embark on picking the haul in the garden. My family loves pickled foods and I  have just the easiest of all pickling brine recipes.

This recipe is tried and true! I have been using it for many years. It is a cold pickling method instead of the boiling canning that once was the prominent way to make pickled foods. This method uses only a few ingredients and within the week they're ready to eat.

Easy Pickling Recipe (Dill)

This recipe uses Quart jars, but you can use a myriad of jars as long as you mix the brine right.

You will yield approximately 3 quarts.

Needed: 

Saucepan

mason jars or mason jar type jars w/lids  (clean)

Ingredients:

Pickling cucumbers (these are the smaller cucumbers) About 10.

4 Cups of water

2 TBSP Kosher salt

2Cups of White vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 large bunch of fresh dill

1 full head of fresh garlic (remove skins & smash)

whole pepper peppercorns (at least use one to two per jar~or to taste)

Steps:

1. slice cukes into spears (can cut coins if desired)

2. To make brine: in a saucepan combine the

water, vinegar, and sugar on low to medium heat stir until sugar dissolves. Once dissolves remove from heat. Set the pan aside to cool to room temp.

3. Once the brine has cooled add your speared cukes. Leave wiggle room in the jars, don't pack too tightly.

4. Now add to each jar the sprigs of dill, 1-2 cloves of garlic (depending on its size and to your taste),

and divvy up the salt(should be separating between three jars) and add as well as a couple peppercorns.

5. Now fill the cooled brine to cover the tops of the cuke spears.

6. When topped with brine, tightly close each lid. (air-tight lids are needed)

7. Now put each jar into the refrigerator. Let steep for at least one week.  After one week you can eat.

(*put stickers on top put dates on when you put them in the fridge)

*A Bay leaf or onions are optional to add into each jar.

**Vegetables can be put into this type brine as well such as carrots(cleaned and cut), cauliflower, broccoli, or green beans (cleaned and slightly blanched) or green tomato. You may also prefer thyme or rosemary in place of dill.

***The cukes and vegetables can be kept up to two months, however, you can reuse the brine again!

source: Pinterest

Find your last bits of the beautiful summer with the last summer fling on the patio with your friends and family as you impress them with homemade pickles or vegetables!