Pickle Recipes

Pickles and Pickling

"Pickle" is both a process and the result of that process. In the U.S., 'pickle' is usually understood to mean a cucumber that has been 'pickled', either in brine or vinegar.

Pickles can be sweet or sour (or neither, really). Flavored with dillweed, the dill variety can add pucker power to a sub or hamburger, and chopped into tiny bits, sweet pickle relish is a favorite flavoring for the all-American hot dog.

Cukes and More

People who grow cucumbers and are awash in the prolific squash every summer may want to consider picking the small cukes before they grow to 'salad' size for home pickling. Your friends who spurn your excess cucumbers may be more inclined to take your home-made pickles off your hands.

Home pickling is a fun way to get the flavors just right, and it's not just for cucumbers. Try pickling small green tomatoes, tiny salad onions, cauliflower and broccoli florets, even carrot slices. If it's a veggie and it's crunchy (and sometimes even if it's not), it's a candidate for pickling.

Add pickled veggies of all types to a salad. Invent an all-american hot'n'sour soup with peppers and dill pickles. Almost any coldcuts sandwich or platter is enhanced with the addition of a variety of pickles. Check your grocery aisle for inspiration - pickled artichokes and asparagus!