{homemade edition} PICKLES!

happy 4th of july!!

i’ve decided to start making a lot more stuff on my own.  it’s only fitting.

and i love love love me some pickles! so when i saw kirby cucumbers {AKA pickling cucumbers} at whole foods last week, i had to snag some up.  i have always wanted to try to make my own pickles, and so this was perfect timing.

when i started googling the basics on how to make pickles, i found that i was totally overwhelmed. there are literally dozens of recipes and “ways” to make pickles!  i found so many different spice combinations and methods in which to do it, that i almost decided to forgo the whole process.  but i already had picked up the spices and i was determined to at least try.

i started with these locally grown kirby cucumbers {about 2 pounds, a little less} — i didn’t catch the name of the farm and i wish i had.  i think they were grown somewhere north of denver.

i decided i wanted to make both pickle chips and pickle spears.  so i cut some for both.

then, i came up with my own spice blend — i just ended up grabbing a bunch of spices from the bulk section.  it’s so great to buy that way when you are trying new recipes, because you can buy a little at a time.  i had the coriander at home, and i think i spent less than $2 for all these spices {and i had more than what’s pictured here}  :

– allspice

– mustard seed

– salt

– coriander

– dill

– celery seed

– fresh garlic {diced or thinly sliced}

– organic apple cider vinegar {not pictured}

after chopping all the pickles up, i put half of them {chips} in one mason jar, and the other half {spears} in another.

then, i decided to use the refrigerator method of making pickles.  apparently, you can make shelf-stable pickles, but that is a much more involved process, so i opted for the quicker. this method involves adding the spice blend {about 1/2 teaspoon of each}, 1/4 cup water, and 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar to a saucepan then bring to a light boil for one minute.

i took this picture after i was stirring the mixture – thought it looked kind of cool 😉

after one minute of boiling your brine, pour half the mixture in one jar and half in the other.

cover and refrigerate.

the article i followed suggested refrigerating for at least 4 days. i must say that this morning i got up and opened them to smell, and the scent was wonderful! i hope they turn out well. i’ll post another blog in a few days when i bust them out with my BBQ for the holiday weekend!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

and even though i bought the most super cute perfect red, white, and blue outfit — i’m actually praying for a rain delay, because colorado needs it!! 🙂

Tags: cucumbers, DIY, fun, holiday, homemade, pickles, pickling