Magazines » May/June 2009 Issue » Perfecting the Pickle
Who isn’t making pickles these days? Manhattan’s Lower East Side -- home to pickle-producing mainstays like Guss’ and The Pickle Guys -- has been cranking out vinegarized genius since 1910, and now, California gastropubs like Ford’s Filling Station and Salt House are serving up brined veggies to the masses. At Hollywood restaurant AMMO, executive chef and pro-pickler Julia Wolfson brines onions, cherries, carrots, plums, and mushrooms to serve alongside her American fare.
But I’m no Julia Wolfson, and I’m certainly no Peter Piper. Armed with decent culinary skills but a lack of canning experience and the potential to inflict my coworkers with botulism, I wanted to make my own brined beauties, but how?
Some quick Googling led me to quick-process (sometimes called fresh-pack) pickles, which don’t require canning; instead, hot brine does nature’s work on the double. Among the hundred or so recipes I searched, I couldn’t decide on one, so I combined a few to make my own, which, judging from a similar experiment with chili recipes, was a risky endeavor. I turned my recipe over to Wolfson for her approval. “The No. 1 secret is getting the balance between the vinegar, sugar, and salt correct in your pickling liquid. If the balance is off, the pickles won’t taste good,” she explained. “I think your recipe looks really good.” So, I sliced some cukes and set out to make magic. Ten minutes later, I was staring at a hot bowl of pickles that, dare I say, looked way more epicurean than the jars in the store.
After a mere two days on my countertop, chemistry had taken its course, and the pickling process was complete. Following a few hours in the fridge, I opened up my pickles at the office for a taste test. “They’re a hell of a lot more complex than your average pickle,” said staffer Chris. “You can tell they’re gourmet.” But was he being sincere, or angling for a raise? I lifted a spear from the brine to see for myself. Crunchy, tangy, and spicy, they were delicious. The red pepper lent a big-time kick, the dill and garlic gave that classic pickle essence, and the cinnamon provided a pleasantly unexpected nuance. They were gone in three days. So while I still have a ways to go until I’m pickling at Wolfson’s level, as far as I’m concerned, Peter can eat his heart out.
No-Can Spicy Dill Pickles
You’ll need:
10 pickling cucumbers or 3 regular cucumbers, sliced lengthwise
3 cups vinegar
3 cups water
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons pickling spice (see below)
handfull fresh dill
1. Select fresh cucumbers -- preferably knobby pickling ones -- from the produce aisle. At home, use them whole, or slice them in half or into spears; either way, remove the blossom end (the part where the stem was attached) as it contains elements that cause pickles to lose their crunch.
2. Place the cukes, garlic and dill into a large glass or non-reactive lidded container.
3. In a large pot, heat vinegar, water, salt, sugar and spices until simmering.
4. Pour hot brine over cucumbers, making sure the veggies are completely covered.
5. Seal the container, and leave on the countertop for 2 days. Then, chill the pickles in the fridge and serve.
Pickling Spice
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon dill seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons coriander seed
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
11⁄2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 cinnamon stick
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Yields about 1⁄3 cup.
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This article originally appeared in the May/June 2009 Issue of DRAFT Magazine
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