“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift;
above all it teaches entire trust. ”
There’s nothing quite like the taste of vegetables fresh from the garden. In planting the Kitchen Garden, I wanted to plan with the same inspiration as I used to place bee-hives for honey and tap the maple trees here in the woods to collect sap for maple syrup.
I am inspired by the fact that when put up correctly, produce, syrup and honey can all bring you the great tastes of their own seasons…all year long. This lead me to learn about Provisioning. It also lead me to plant tomatoes, garlic, onions and peppers for sauces (like maple-sweetened marinara), and ramps for pesto, which this season I will be making with ramps and the black walnuts I have collected in the woods. Ramp pesto can be frozen for longterm storage, and added to recipes right out of the freezer.
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If you are interested in growing pickles, you'll need to choose a variety of cucumber that is well-suited for pickling. Some popular options include Boston Pickling, National Pickling, and Kirby cucumbers. These varieties are known for their firm flesh and small size, which makes them ideal for pickling.
Making quick pickles at home is a simple and easy process that doesn't require much time or effort. Quick pickles are a great way to add flavor and crunch to sandwiches, salads, and other dishes, and they can be made with a variety of vegetables, including cucumbers, carrots, onions, and radishes.
Here's my basic recipe for making quick pickles at home:
Ingredients:
1 pound vegetables (such as cucumbers, carrots, onions, or radishes)
1 cup vinegar (white or apple cider)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1-2 cloves garlic (optional)
1-2 teaspoons whole spices (such as mustard seeds, coriander seeds, or peppercorns)
Instructions:
Wash and slice the vegetables into thin rounds or spears.
In a small pot, combine the vinegar, water, pickling salt, sugar, garlic, and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Pack the vegetables into a clean jar, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace.
Pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables, covering them completely.
Let the jar cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to a week.
That's it! Quick pickles are ready to eat after just an hour of pickling, but the longer they sit in the refrigerator, the more flavorful they will become. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables and flavorings to create your own unique combinations of quick pickles.