Dilly Spicy Garlic Pickles

Written By Cam Simmons

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I started pickling food about four years ago in hopes of cutting back on food waste. People kept enjoying it, so I kept doing it. 

Quick pickling is a simple, versatile method for adding punchy, acidic flavors to your arsenal. It also boasts the obvious benefit of prolonging shelf life, giving us more time to enjoy precious produce.

While this is definitely a pretty classic pickle recipe, small tweaks can really take it in an endless variety of directions. Changing salt, sugar, and vinegar levels can lead to an entirely different brine, thereby appealing to an entirely different strata of pickle enjoyer. Likewise, the use of different spices and varieties of vinegar allow pickles to easily dance between cultural flavor profiles (rice vinegar and szechuan pepper vs. distilled white vinegar and dill… on and on and on). Even available sugar amounts in your chosen cucumbers can drastically change your overall product. As kitchen practices go, not many remind me of a high school science project more than pickling. 

I’ve had the privilege of testing this particular recipe in the staff fridges of both Belmont Butchery and the James River Park System office. I’ve tried to make the measurements highly customizable, as I know that some will prefer sweetness and tang over spice.

**Thank you to my test subjects. I hope to have had a positive impact on your gut biomes.

// INGREDIENTS

PICKLES-TO-BE

12-14 MINI OR PERSIAN CUCUMBERS

1-2 WHOLE PEPPERS (MIX AND MATCH WITH JALAPEÑO, SERRANO, BIRD’S EYE, ETC.)

6-8 CLOVES GARLIC

8 SPRIGS DILL

2-4 BAY LEAVES

SPICES

2 TSP CORIANDER SEED

2 TSP MUSTARD SEED

2 TBSP PEPPERCORN (ANY COLOR)

1-2 PINCH GOCHUGARU (OR GENERIC RED PEPPER FLAKE)

1-2 PINCH MSG (ADD TO JAR OR DISSOLVE IN BRINE)

BRINE

2 CUP WATER

1½  CUP DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR

½ CUP RICE WINE VINEGAR

2 TBSP KOSHER SALT

¼ CUP SUGAR

1 TSP HONEY

// MATERIALS

2 BALL MASON JARS (WIDE MOUTH PREFERRED)

2 FERMENTATION WEIGHTS (NOT ENTIRELY NECESSARY, BUT VERY HELPFUL)

1 SMALL SAUCEPAN

1 FUNNEL (ONCE AGAIN, NOT ENTIRELY NECESSARY)

//METHOD

  1. CLEAN JARS AND FERMENTATION WEIGHTS THOROUGHLY (NOT AS IMPORTANT AS IN ACTIVE FERMENTATION PROCESSES, BUT STILL UNDENIABLY GOOD PRACTICE). 

  2. MEASURE OUT AND MIX LIQUID COMPONENTS (INCLUDING HONEY). SET ASIDE.

  3. MEASURE OUT SALT AND SUGAR. SET ASIDE.

  4. CUT CUCUMBERS AND PEPPERS TO DESIRED SHAPES DEPENDING ON YOUR CHOSEN APPLICATION. CRUSH GARLIC CLOVES AND CLEAN DILL SPRIGS OF ANY SOOT.

5. PACK JARS WITH CUCUMBERS, PEPPERS, GARLIC, DILL, AND BAY LEAVES. DO YOUR BEST TO SPREAD COMPONENTS EVENLY BETWEEN THE TWO JARS (I FIND THAT A CHOPSTICK CAN BE USEFUL FOR SITUATING DILL SPRIGS AMONG OTHER COMPONENTS). SPRINKLE GOCHUGARU AND MSG ON TOP OF ORGANIZED INGREDIENTS.

6. TOAST SPICES IN SAUCEPAN OVER MEDIUM-LOW HEAT UNTIL FRAGRANT. POUR WATER, VINEGAR, AND HONEY MIXTURE INTO SAUCEPAN.

7. ADD SALT AND SUGAR TO SAUCEPAN. HEAT UNTIL SALT, SUGAR, AND HONEY ARE FULLY INCORPORATED AND MIXTURE IS BARELY SIMMERING.

8. REMOVE BRINE FROM HEAT AND LET COOL ALMOST COMPLETELY (A COOLED BRINE WILL HELP THE CUCUMBERS TO RETAIN CRUNCH). (THIS PROCESS CAN BE EXPEDITED BY SITTING THE SAUCEPAN IN A BOWL OF ICE WATER. MAKES MORE MESS. TAKES LESS TIME. 

9. ONCE BRINE IS COOLED, POUR EVENLY BETWEEN THE TWO MASON JARS. (USE ANY EXCESS FOR FUTURE PICKLING OR MEAT BRINING). USE A SPOON TO DISTRIBUTE THE PICKLING SPICES BETWEEN THE TWO JARS (THESE WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT FLAVOR).

10. PICKLES-TO-BE WILL FLOAT TO THE TOP OF THEIR RESPECTIVE JARS. USE FERMENTATION WEIGHTS TO KEEP INGREDIENTS IMMERSED IN BRINE. ONCE INGREDIENTS ARE WELL SITUATED, LID, LABEL, AND DATE JARS AND REFRIGERATE FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS, BY WHICH TIME THE BRINE WILL HAVE FULLY SATURATED YOUR PICKLES. 

11. TASTE, ADJUST FOR SEASONING, AND USE TO YOUR LIKING.

// STORAGE

TEXTURAL DISINTEGRATION IS THE BIGGEST CONCERN WHEN STORING PICKLES. THESE SHOULD HOLD FOR AROUND 3-4 MONTHS. THE BRINES WILL LAST EVEN LONGER AND ARE GREAT FOR REUSE!

Cam Simmons