Alright, let me tell you about my go at making some quick pickled gherkins the other day. Found myself with a load of small cucumbers from the garden, thought, “Waste not, want not,” right? Decided pickling was the way to go, needed something fast though.
Getting Started
First off, I grabbed those little cucumbers. Gave them a really good wash under cold water. Got rid of any dirt. You gotta make sure they’re clean. Then, I hunted down a decent-sized glass jar. Washed that out thoroughly too, lid included. Sterilizing is probably best, but I just used hot soapy water and rinsed it well this time because I wanted quick.
Making the Pickling Juice
Next up, the brine. This is the magic part, I suppose. I got a saucepan out. Poured in some white vinegar, maybe about half the pan? Then added roughly the same amount of water. It’s not an exact science for me, I just kind of winged it. Dumped in a good pinch of salt – maybe a tablespoon or so? And a little bit of sugar to balance the sharpness, maybe half a tablespoon. I brought that mix up to a boil on the stove, stirring it a bit to make sure the salt and sugar dissolved properly.
While that was heating up, I prepared the flavour bits. I smashed a couple of garlic cloves with the side of my knife – releases the flavour better, I reckon. Grabbed a few sprigs of fresh dill from the windowsill. Also threw in a small handful of black peppercorns and a few mustard seeds I had in the cupboard.
Putting It All Together
Okay, brine’s boiling. Turned off the heat. Now, packing the jar. I put the dill sprigs and the smashed garlic cloves at the bottom of the jar first. Then started packing the gherkins in. Tried to stand them upright, fitting them in as snugly as I could. Pushed them down a bit. Sprinkled the peppercorns and mustard seeds in amongst them as I went.
Once the jar was pretty full, I carefully poured the hot vinegar brine over the cucumbers. Made sure the liquid covered everything completely. Tapped the jar gently on the counter to get rid of any trapped air bubbles. You want the brine getting everywhere.
The Waiting Game (Not Long!)
Put the lid on tightly straight away while it was still hot. Then just left the jar on the side to cool down to room temperature. Once it was cool, I popped it straight into the fridge. The recipe said ‘quick’, so I figured I’d give it at least 24 hours before I cracked it open.
Taste Test Time
So, the next day, maybe closer to 36 hours later actually, I pulled the jar out. Opened it up. Had that classic pickle smell. Fished one out… Crunch! Yep, still had a really good crunch, which I was pleased about. The flavour was sharp, tangy, definitely pickled. Garlic and dill came through nicely. Maybe could have used a tiny bit more salt for my liking, but honestly, for a quick job, they were pretty darn good.
Super easy to do, minimal fuss. Beats store-bought sometimes, especially when you have the cucumbers already. Definitely doing this again.