Refridgerator picklesSarah, Here is an interesting vegetable pickle combination that you might like to try. You can make a half-batch or quarter-batch to see if you like them...
I can't remember why, but last winter I decided to grow gherkins and cucumbers as this summer's experiment. The 2 (I have a very small garden) cucumber plants (Crystal Lemon) survived long enough to produce one lovely squash-ball-sized fruit, then succumbed to what I think might be mosaic virus. The 2 gherkins squatted ominously in their hollows for a couple of weeks, then erupted into furious growth. Now they've taken over that corner of the garden they've decided to start fruiting. We ate them as cucumbers until enough ripened at once to make something useful. Decisions, decisions... I decided to make refridgerator pickles. Never made-eaten one in my life. Google found lots of recipes that I conflated into
6-7 cups sliced cucumber-gherkin 1 (sweet) onion, thinly sliced. 1 tsp white mustard seed 1 tsp celery seed, except that the spicemonger in the market doesn't stock it, so I used a small handful of celery leaves. 1 tbsp salt 1 cup vinegar 1 1-2 cup sugar
Put sliced vegetables and celery leaves in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, mix together and leave to stand while gently heating the vinegar, sugar and seeds until the sugar is dissolved. It shouldn't boil. Allow the liquid to cool, pour over the veg, mix well. Pack into a large jar and leave in the refridgerator at least 24 hours before eating. Pickles must be stored in the refridgerator.
I ate a forkful about 1-2 hour after making, and it was rather good. Nice in a ham sandwich, I think. I await developments with interest.
regards sarah
-- Think of it as evolution in action.
