Can It: Shut-Your-Mouth-They're-So-Good Spicy Dills!

Quick! 

Before your local Farmer's Market stops loading the tables with those lovely little cukes!

Out of the box Garlic-Dill Sun Pickles

What you need:

At least a 32 oz  Mason  Jar

Small Cucumbers

Fresh Dill

Fresh Garlic

 Vinegar

Water

Kosher Salt

Peppercorns

Mustard Seeds

From Out of the box...

Ingredients:

• whole Kirby cucumbers  (or other pickling cucumbers)
• 2 cups distilled vinegar
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup Kosher Salt
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• 10 cloves garlic (more or less to your tastes)
• 2-4 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorns

Directions:

• Wash cucumbers well and set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix vinegar, salt and water together.
• Fill large glass jar with cucumbers, layering in dill, peppers and garlic.  Add peppercorns and mustard seeds.
• Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers.
• Seal jar with lid, shake and place in the sun.
• Leave pickle jar outdoors in a sunny spot for 4-6 days.  Shake jar each day.
• Refrigerate finished pickles.

Adjustments I made

I could only fit 6 cucumbers and about 1 1/2 jalepenos. 

I took a short cut and used the pre-chopped fresh garlic that comes in a little sealed square packet and it was plenty.  I filled the jar with a mixture of the vinegar & water but didn't use anywhere near 7 cups so just play with it.  With all the spices being infused you won't notice if it's not exact.

So pretty right?!

It doesn't stay this way long.

The liquid gets super murky but don't let that throw you off.

If you read my I Mad, Crazy, Stupid, Love Meyer Lemons So Why Not Preserve Them? Genius! post then you know that food that sits on my counter looking delicious while I can't eat it is pure torture!

This got pretty bad folks.  I didn't realize how much I craved pickles until they were staring me in the face day after day.  It's especially hard when you need to handle them on a daily basis!  But shaking them up is important so stay strong. 

As shocking as it is that I continue to do this

I pulled one of my scanning the recipe rather than reading it faux pas...

About a month after sealing these beauties I lost it and went tearing through my recipe binder (more like wad of folded recipes clipped together and squeezed into every inch of my cookbook shelf).  Turns out they were supposed to pickle for 4 -6 days, NOT 4-6 WEEKS!  I immediately opened them not caring that it was only 9 in the morning.  

They were so spicy that my lips buzzed for several minutes but it was so worth it!  It's the kind of burn that as soon as it's gone you want more.  I am really glad I accidentally gave it the extra time to absorb the maximum amount of flavor.  

These are incredible on pulled pork sandwiches and bloody marys!

After the pickles are gone you can use the brine to pickle anything you want; sliced carrots & green beans, just make sure it's a hearty vegetable.

Pickles to the people!