From apples to zucchini, The Pickled Pantry (Storey Publishing, 2012) by Andrea Chesman provides 150 recipes for pickles, relishes, chutneys and more. This fresh, contemporary guide to pickling the harvest introduces readers to the foundation techniques of pickling before delving into recipes, ingredients, equipment preparation and safe pickling procedures. The following excerpt is taken from Chapter 3, “Single Jar Pickles.”
Dill Chips Recipe
by the pint
Sandwich-ready dill chips are handy to have in the pantry. I can’t even imagine a tuna fish sandwich without them.
• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers, blossom ends removed
• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon pickling or fine sea salt, or more if necessary
• 6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon dill seeds
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• Pickle Crisp Granules (optional)
1. Combine the cucumbers, onion, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Cover the vegetables with ice water and let stand for at least 2 hours, and up to 6 hours. Drain. Taste a slice of cucumber. If it isn’t decidedly salty, toss the vegetables with an additional 1 to 2 teaspoons pickling salt. If it is too salty (which it never is for me), rinse the vegetables in water.
2. Combine the white vinegar, water, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
3. Pack the dill seeds, fresh dill, garlic, mustard seeds, and peppercorns into a clean hot 1-pint canning jar. Pack in the cucumbers. Pour in the hot vinegar mixture, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add a rounded 1/3 teaspoon of Pickle Crisp, if using. Remove any air bubbles and seal.
4. Process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. To begin this process, set the jars in the preheated canner. The water in the boiling-water-bath canner should be hot, but not boiling, to prevent the jars from breaking. Add boiling water to the canner from the kettle to bring the water level to 1 to 2 inches above the tops of the jars.
5. Over high heat, bring the water to boiling. Start the timing when the water comes to a boil.
6. After the 10 minutes, let cool undisturbed for 12 hours. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not open for at least 6 weeks to allow the flavors to develop.
Kitchen Note:
– The thinner you slice the cukes, the more you will be able to pack into the jars. If you are cutting by hand, you will probably fit only about 2 cups of chips in each pint jar.
Excerpted from The Pickled Pantry © by Andrea Chesman, used with permission from Storey Publishing.
Click here for the main article, How to Can Pickles: 3 Great Pickle Recipes.
