DAY PICKLES

I have to give my Dad props for this fantastic recipe/idea. I had no idea it was possible to pickle vegetables in a DAY! These “Day Pickles” are a quick and tasty snack, appetizer, or topping on a sandwich. They are a new staple in my fridge and I can’t get over how easy they are to make!

Day Pickles
2 plastic containers or glass jars (they need to hold about two cups of liquid plus the vegetables)
8 cloves garlic, peeled
6 dried chile peppers (I used Arbol)
3 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 dashes oregano
1 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon capers
1 English cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 1/3 cups cold water
2 cups white vinegar
2 splashes rice vinegar

First, assemble the containers in front of you.

Place 4 peeled cloves of garlic, 3 dried chile peppers, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 shake of oregano, 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, and 1 teaspoon of capers in EACH container.

Cut English cucumbers in three sections, and quarter so the spears are all about 4 inches long. (if the cucumber is 12 inches long) . Remove the seeds/core of the bell peppers, and cut into spears about the same length as the cucumbers.

Stuff the peppers and cucumbers (any combination you like) into the container in an upright position and make sure they are fairly snug.

Pour 2/3 cup of cold water over the vegetables in each container. Add one cup of white vinegar to each container and top with a splash of rice vinegar. Add a couple sprigs of mint to the top and cover with lid.

Make sure the lid is on tight. Shake and turn the container upside down and just let sit for about 2 hours. Turn container on other side and let sit for another two hours. Turn over one last time and let sit for an hour. Now you can move them to the fridge to chill.

They are ready almost immediately after they chill in the fridge! Obviously, the longer they are in the juices, the more flavor they will have. (keep these refridgerated since they are not properly sealed in a jar or can) You can pretty much use any combination of vegetables you would like; green beans, asparagus, onions, carrots, cauliflowers…the list goes on!




R