Pickle & Preserve
Quick Pickles
- Makes About 1 cup
Author Notes
I use these for my burgers (maybe someday I'll post that recipe), but they can be used for sandwiches too. I sometimes just like eating them alone as a light snack. When formulating this recipe, I originally used the coin shape that is ubiquitous among pickles, but thought that allowing more surface area to the cucumber may hasten the pickling process. Turns out it does. —Mr_Vittles
What You'll Need
Ingredients
-
5-6
Seedless Cucumbers, Kirby being the first choice, but Persians or English Hothouse work fine too
-
1 teaspoon
Mustard Seeds
-
1/2 teaspoon
Cumin Seeds
-
1/2 teaspoon
Coriander Seeds
-
1
Bay Leaf
-
1/4 teaspoon
Red Chili Flakes
-
1/2 cup
Apple Cider Vinegar
-
1/2 cup
Water
-
1 teaspoon
Kosher Salt
-
1/3 cup
Light Brown Sugar
Directions
- Wash the cucumbers and pat dry. Holding the cucumber by one end place the other end on a cutting board. Begin by peeling of the outer layer of skin. Then simply peel off layers of cucumber until you reach the other side. Do not rotate the cucumber, the idea here is to get "sheets" of cucumber. After "sheeting" all of the cucumbers place them inside a heatproof bowl.
- Heat a small sauce pan on medium high heat. Allow to preheat for a minutes, and add Mustard, Cumin, and Coriander Seeds. Toast briefly, 30-45 seconds, until fragrant. This process is not crucial, but will intensify the flavor of the seeds. Add Bay Leaf and Red Chili Flakes to the pan and shake for a few seconds. Add vinegar and water, be careful to not put your face directly above the pan as the vinegar vapor can be hard on the lungs.
- After the vinegar, water mixture has settle, turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Add salt and sugar, stir to combine. Simmer for five minutes.
- Immediately pour the brine over the cucumber "sheets". Allow the pickles to come to room temperature and store them in the refrigerator for use whenever you please (stirring gently will quicken the cooling). Like I said in the description these are great to cut the fat in burgers, but can be used in a plethora of ways.
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