Summer pickles
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Number of Servings: 8
Ingredients
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced ,1/4 inch to 1/3 thick slices1 white onion, sliced into thin half-rings1 parsnip (or substitute 2 carrots), sliced into sticks1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns (divided use)1 tsp. whole mustard seed (divided use)1 tsp caraway seed (divided use)(Note: if you have a bottle of "pickling spices" such as McCormick, that doesn't have salt added, you can just substitute a couple of tablespoons of the mix, rather than the individual spices above)Vinegar, quantity to be determined after slicing, 1 to 2 cups.
Pickled in vinegar, rather than brine, these are low-sodium, and are excellent in salads as well (see below).
In a sealable, flat-bottomed 1.5 quart (or larger) container such as Tupperware, put down a layer of half the cucumber slices, a layer of half the onion slices, and a layer of half the parsnip or carrot sticks. Sprinkle half the seasonings (pickling spice or mixture of peppercorns, caraway, and mustard seed) evenly over the top of the vegetables. Then layer the rest of the vegetables, and sprinkle the remaining spices on top. Now pour in vinegar until it just reaches the top spices.
Seal the container and stick it in the refrigerator. Whenever you think of it, turn the container upside down and back again, to stir the flavors. The pickles are ready after at least 24 hours, and taste even better after 48 hours. To keep for up to one week in the refrigerator, pour off half the vinegar and replace with the same quantity of purified/distilled water (if you leave it all vinegar in there all week, the pickles will be so sour your mouth will pucker!)
Besides serving the pickles as an appetizer or side dish by themselves, you can serve them as a salad by slicing fresh tomatoes onto each plate (4 slices), layering pickles on top of that (6 or so slices of cucumber, a couple of parsnip sticks, and a couple of onion slivers), add 1 ounce diced *fresh* mozzarella cheese to each serving, and drizzle half a teaspoon of herbed olive oil over the top of each serving.
Note about vinegar: I like red wine vinegar for this, but apple cider vinegar works well; white vinegar is cheapest, which may recommend it to some people.
Number of Servings: 8
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user BUNRAB.
In a sealable, flat-bottomed 1.5 quart (or larger) container such as Tupperware, put down a layer of half the cucumber slices, a layer of half the onion slices, and a layer of half the parsnip or carrot sticks. Sprinkle half the seasonings (pickling spice or mixture of peppercorns, caraway, and mustard seed) evenly over the top of the vegetables. Then layer the rest of the vegetables, and sprinkle the remaining spices on top. Now pour in vinegar until it just reaches the top spices.
Seal the container and stick it in the refrigerator. Whenever you think of it, turn the container upside down and back again, to stir the flavors. The pickles are ready after at least 24 hours, and taste even better after 48 hours. To keep for up to one week in the refrigerator, pour off half the vinegar and replace with the same quantity of purified/distilled water (if you leave it all vinegar in there all week, the pickles will be so sour your mouth will pucker!)
Besides serving the pickles as an appetizer or side dish by themselves, you can serve them as a salad by slicing fresh tomatoes onto each plate (4 slices), layering pickles on top of that (6 or so slices of cucumber, a couple of parsnip sticks, and a couple of onion slivers), add 1 ounce diced *fresh* mozzarella cheese to each serving, and drizzle half a teaspoon of herbed olive oil over the top of each serving.
Note about vinegar: I like red wine vinegar for this, but apple cider vinegar works well; white vinegar is cheapest, which may recommend it to some people.
Number of Servings: 8
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user BUNRAB.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 36.5
- Total Fat: 0.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
- Sodium: 4.3 mg
- Total Carbs: 8.4 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g
- Protein: 1.0 g
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