You know when you stare in the fridge for something to munch on? My eyes go directly to the pickle jar.
This brine recipe has your wallet covered-
Save money and boost nutrition at home. Homemade pickles are a natural source of homemade probiotics!
As garden season is picking up, it's time to figure out how to use everything to prevent waste. I LOVE PICKLING. It is such an efficient way to use up food, preserving it indefinitely!
Tools:
Glass jars - we use 2L mason jars, this is an easy recipe to make in batch
Ingredients:
Veggies (2-3 cups) - we pick them fresh from the garden or buy from a local farmer who doesn't use pesticides.
Vinegar - we use pickling vinegar and a dash of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.
Salt - we use sea salt.
Sugar - we use cane sugar.
Spices - various, depending on your taste. We like to use chopped ginger, garlic cloves, peppercorns, coriander.. the list goes on, it's up to you. You can adjust the spice level 1 week into the process if you are unsure of what flavour you are looking for.
Basic Method:
You want the veggies to be fully submerged in brine at all times to stay fresh. As you begin to have extra brine due to eating your pickled veg, you can add more fresh veggies, adjust the brine and spices to continue the process.
This recipe is a guideline to start the pickling process, just remember that homemade pickling can be an evolving process.
For example: Sometimes I add a little more sea salt or sugar with how I see fit and depending on the taste of the brine. Using the picture above as an example, the jar on the far left in the picture above was originally pickles (cucumbers), and now and it is becoming a delicious brine with onions, peppers and garlic cloves.
Recipe:
1 cup water
1 cup pickling vinegar - ACV or rice vinegar may work too, it will take longer and will not be a traditional flavour. Pickling vinegar has a higher acidic volume, and therefore works faster for quick brine. It also has a mild taste.
Splash of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (ACV) - I like to add this for flavour and because it is alive, it will kick-start bacteria and enzyme activity.
2 tbsp cane sugar - depending on how much sugar is in the veggies you are pickling, you may want to add more. Like for instance, for our cauliflower (pictured above) we added another 2 tbsp.
2 tsp sea salt - flavour to taste afterwards.
2-3 cups of veggies - choose whatever you fancy!
OVERALL METHOD:
Make brine: place vinegar, water, sugar and salt into saucepan.
Bring to heat (medium-high) to allow sugar and salt to dissolve.
While the brine is heating, chop your veggies to preference size (smaller size pickles quicker).
Once salt and sugar are dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, the brine is ready.
Clean / sanitize jars.
Add veggies / spices to your jars and submerge in brine. Allow for 1 inch coverage.
Seal jars and place in the fridge. You can start with a cool dark place, like a low cupboard for 1 week to jump-start the process. Fridge fermentation takes 1-3 weeks.
Allow for 1 week to pass before breaking the seal.
After 1 week, open the jar and with a clean utensil and try your pickled veggies, they will take another couple weeks to soften in texture but this is a great time to adjust spice since now you know what flavours are popping out.
As long as the jar is properly sealed and you always use clean utensils, this product has no expiry date.
Thanks for reading,
Samantha and Brian
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