I recently embarked upon a true pickle-making excursion. But before you go thinking I bought canning supplies and all the works, there’s one thing you should know about me and how I cook: I like to keep it simple. Now, you’ll come to find that this is strangely an anomaly to what I love to do with food. This ain’t no “Lavender” Lunchbox for nothing. But what I mean is that when there is a quicker way to do things, I’m gonna do it.
Hence, Quick Pickles! You’ve heard of the kind...overnight pickled veggies that taste just like the long-stood, pressure “canned” variety. With a catch! What I love about quick pickles is that you literally know how they turned out within 24 hours. As a single gal that works a lot lot and lives on a budget (that is not a complaint, btw!), I would be pretty sad to spend my dollars on the goods only to find out after 3 weeks or months or years or whathaveyou that my pickles, well, suck.
Break it to me short and sweet, people.
Hence, Quick Pickles! You’ve heard of the kind...overnight pickled veggies that taste just like the long-stood, pressure “canned” variety. With a catch! What I love about quick pickles is that you literally know how they turned out within 24 hours. As a single gal that works a lot lot and lives on a budget (that is not a complaint, btw!), I would be pretty sad to spend my dollars on the goods only to find out after 3 weeks or months or years or whathaveyou that my pickles, well, suck.
Break it to me short and sweet, people.
Before I break into my pickling adventure, I just have to admit that I think fermentation is so cool. The process is uniquely simple and can yield such an amazing variety of flavors. I go through pickled-food phases, though- sauerkraut on everything for months, kim chee on everything for months... you get the idea. And I’ll never forget how as a kid I always asked for extra pickles. Never mind that maybe the greasy meat-on-a-bun needed some pizzazz, I loved pickles. My mom kept a supply of Mt. Olive Kosher Dills in our refrigerator at all times.
Little did I know until recently that pickles are actually pretty good for you, too. I’m not swearing by my childhood standard anymore, of course, but good, organic veggies pickled in the right stuff (I love Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar) can provide you with all sorts of antimicrobials that aid in digestion, Vitamin B produced by lactic acid bacteria, and more.
I also really love the versatility of pickles. They’re easy to keep around because they don’t go bad quickly. The pairing of them cold over a hot dish is divine. And they can be used in a thousand different ways. When I first made my Lavender Peppercorn Pickles, I found that the flavor could best be detected when paired on a whole wheat tortilla with some relatively mild flavors- avocado, classic hummus, and some thinly sliced bell pepper. It was the simplest lunch, but the pickles truly shone through. They were the star, and I proceeded to make that wrap three days in a row until I was out of hummus. Thankfully I still have sooooo many pickles because of this blog post!
Little did I know until recently that pickles are actually pretty good for you, too. I’m not swearing by my childhood standard anymore, of course, but good, organic veggies pickled in the right stuff (I love Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar) can provide you with all sorts of antimicrobials that aid in digestion, Vitamin B produced by lactic acid bacteria, and more.
I also really love the versatility of pickles. They’re easy to keep around because they don’t go bad quickly. The pairing of them cold over a hot dish is divine. And they can be used in a thousand different ways. When I first made my Lavender Peppercorn Pickles, I found that the flavor could best be detected when paired on a whole wheat tortilla with some relatively mild flavors- avocado, classic hummus, and some thinly sliced bell pepper. It was the simplest lunch, but the pickles truly shone through. They were the star, and I proceeded to make that wrap three days in a row until I was out of hummus. Thankfully I still have sooooo many pickles because of this blog post!
Here’s another thing you should know about me: I don’t follow recipes. Something I learned when I was 18 and freaking out in the kitchen one long evening after a huge cooking endeavor failed was that it was not - I repeat NOT - worth it. If I want to make something, what I do is simple. It usually starts with a single ingredient or dish as my inspiration. In this case: pickles. I then either flip through my cookbooks or the wwweb for a handful of recipes and use this to decipher my method and which ingredients are essential. And I mean essential. I formulate a conglomerate “recipe” in my head, and if things work out then I write down what I did and voilah! My “own” recipe. It allows me to have fun while also trying new things. And as someone that hates admitting my own mistakes, it gives me a chance to learn quickly. (How many times have you sworn you followed a recipe to a t, but it just flopped entirely?! Yeah, I don’t have time for that.) By paying attention to how I want to do things, I can also hear that little voice in my head that says, “dooon’t” right as I doooooo. And if it fails...well, next time I’ll listen.
BACK TO PICKLES!
So last week I attempted my first overnight pickles. My angle? Lavender Peppercorn Pickles! It seemed truly appropriate in light of The Lavender Lunchbox, and I had been looking for a unique way to use the dried lavender I had on hand. Years ago I had a Lavender Shortbread at a delightful cafe in Chicago - The Bourgois Pig. Amazing. - and I’ve been daydreaming about it ever since. But when flour is involved, I do try to steer my ego aside and follow recipes, so in light of my playful mood this day I decided to use the lavender in pickles instead. That, and it sounds so fun!
Lavender Peppercorn Pickles!
Confession: my recipe was initially a little lacking. I under-seasoned for sure, so you could taste the vinegar, but not enough lavender or salt or...peppercorn. So I came back today to recreate! And also, I threw in a couple more flavor combos just for fun. I’m so excited to share with you my first blog-inspired recipes. And this time, they’re worth making over and over again.
BACK TO PICKLES!
So last week I attempted my first overnight pickles. My angle? Lavender Peppercorn Pickles! It seemed truly appropriate in light of The Lavender Lunchbox, and I had been looking for a unique way to use the dried lavender I had on hand. Years ago I had a Lavender Shortbread at a delightful cafe in Chicago - The Bourgois Pig. Amazing. - and I’ve been daydreaming about it ever since. But when flour is involved, I do try to steer my ego aside and follow recipes, so in light of my playful mood this day I decided to use the lavender in pickles instead. That, and it sounds so fun!
Lavender Peppercorn Pickles!
Confession: my recipe was initially a little lacking. I under-seasoned for sure, so you could taste the vinegar, but not enough lavender or salt or...peppercorn. So I came back today to recreate! And also, I threw in a couple more flavor combos just for fun. I’m so excited to share with you my first blog-inspired recipes. And this time, they’re worth making over and over again.
