Simple Pickling for the Summer

Along with being the season to lounge at the beach, summer is the time when those of us who "put up" -- that is, preserve and can fresh produce to store through the winter -- find ourselves bombarded with delicious fresh fruits and vegetables to turn into as many preserved things as we can. One of the easiest and most rewarding? Pickles!

Traditionally, pickles were made using a fermenting process similar to that of kimchi or sauerkraut. Many people do still make and eat pickles this way, but the pickles that most of us are familiar with nowadays are the vinegar pickles that are processed in a water bath, so those are the ones we're going to talk about here.

"Pickles" can refer to anything processed in a pickling brine; it doesn't just have to mean cucumbers paired with dill and garlic, though those pickles are pretty darn delicious. But get creative! Think beyond cukes -- some great standard pickles also include green beans, carrots, and radishes. Just about any vegetable can be turned into a fine pickle. Fruit can also be pickled to wonderful results, such as in this recipe for Pickled Grapes with Cinnamon and Black Pepper. We'll walk through basic pickling steps using cucumbers as a recipe example, but don't forget you can make pickles with anything you want!

Begin by selecting firm, unbruised pickling (these are the small ones) cucumbers that will fit easily into your canning jars. You will also need basic white vinegar, whatever spices you'll be pickling with -- a combination of peppercorns, fresh garlic, and dill weed is a great place to start. Salt is the biggest part of your pickling process that you'll need to pay attention to: regular table salt and any other salt with iodine or additives will not work for pickling, as it clouds the brine. Use instead pickling salt or, if that's not available, sea salt should work fine. You can add grape leaves to your pickle jars to help keep your veggies as crunchy as possible, but it's not an absolutely necessary ingredient.

When following a pickling recipe, be careful not to modify the amount of salt or the ratio of vinegar to water, which are set to ensure a safe pH level for the finished pickles. Remember all that? Great, let's make pickles!

1. Decide if you'll be pickling for the fridge or preserving for the winter. If preserving, make sure you have all the necessary equipment for water-bath canning and prepare the boiling water bath. Either way, wash all the jars you'll be using in warm, soapy water and place fresh jar lids into a saucepan with 3 inches of water to simmer.

2. Prepare your vegetables, washing and drying them. Cut off blossom ends of cucumbers if using, as it can harbour an enzyme that makes your pickles mushy.

3. Combine your vinegar, water, and salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, divide your spices equally between the jars and then pack in prepared vegetables as tightly as possible without crushing them.

4. Pour the brine into the jars, leaving a 1/4 inch of headspace, and remove all air bubbles by gently tapping the jars. Wipe the rims and screw on the sterilized lids. If processing, transfer to the water bath for the required amount of time. If not processing, refrigerate once jars are cool.

5. Let the pickles sit for at least a week before cracking them open and then enjoy!