VEGGIE PICKLES

EASY VEGGIE PICKLES:
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1 fresh Cucumber sliced into ½ inch batons (the same length as the height of your bottle) and or 5 or 6 Large Carrots sliced into ½ inch batons (the same length as the height of your bottle)
Slices of fresh Garlic
a few Bay Leaves
Whole fresh chillies (I used this with the carrots)
WHAT TO DO:
For the pickle mixture (the amounts can be changed to suit your taste)
2 Cups of Water
1¼ Cup of Vinegar (White wine vinegar works best for me)
¾ cup of Sugar
3 teaspoons of Salt
10 black peppercorns (or more if you lazy to count them)
Place all pickle ingredients the in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer until the sugar has melted.
Leave the liquid to cool - check the taste and adjust to your liking - you might want it slightly sweeter or more tart.
Sterilize your bottles and the lids in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.
Place the vegetables and spices in your hot bottles, cutting them to fit the bottle.
Pour over the cooled pickle liquid and seal the jars.
Place in the fridge for 2 days and then enjoy!
Try experimenting with the flavours, by using sliced onion, green beans, radish or anything that takes your fancy.*Kos vir kampeerders met idees vir kampering

How to Make Quick Pickles

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These tasty quick pickles are ready in just a few hours.

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As the pickle chef, I became an aficionado of quick pickles because they could be whipped up as easily as a salad to complement whatever was on the menu that day. Unlike making fermented pickles, which involves soaking vegetables for days or weeks in a salty brine  quick pickling is really about infusing vegetables with vinegar and other flavors, and it takes only a few hours.

If I’m using vegetables with high water content, like cucumbers or cabbage, I start by salting them for an hour or two to draw out some water, which makes the pickles crunchy. After that, I make a pickling liquid of vinegar, water, spices, and salt, sugar, or both. Then I submerge the vegetables in it and let them sit to absorb the flavor. That’s it. That’s all it takes to make crunchy pickles that I think taste fresher than canned pickles. And because the acid in the vinegar slows bacterial growth, these pickles will keep in the fridge for weeks—if you don’t eat them all right away, of course.

Pickle Pairings

All of these pickles are great for snacking, but they can also bring out wonderful flavors and add texture to other foods. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them:

Wine-Pickled Beets
• Chop and mix with horseradish to make a tangy relish for grilled steaks or roast beef.
• A dd to gazpacho for sweetness and tang.
• Purée and add to hummus for an earthy, vividly pink dip.

Bread-and-Butter Pickles
• Top burgers for a sweet note to counter the rich meatiness.
• Chop and add to tuna, chicken, or egg salad for crunch and tang.
• Fry for a tasty appetizer (see Battered Deep-Fried Pickles and Pan-Fried Pickles for two ways to do this).

Dill Garden Pickles
• Toss with a green salad and use the pickling liquid to make a vinaigrette.
• Finely chop to make a piquant relish for grilled hot dogs or bratwurst.
• Serve on a cheese platter to offset rich, creamy cheeses.

Pickled Coleslaw
• Garnish spicy fish or shrimp tacos for crunch and sweetness.
• Toss with Asian stir-fried pork and rice.
• Add to a grilled cheese sandwich, especially one made with a pungent melter like Taleggio.

Photos: Scott Phillips