I hate pickles. Let me be clear: I. Hate. Pickles. Hate them so much that I avoid at all costs what I call pickle contamination: that is, when the juice from an unwanted dill pickle sogs up the potato chips or sandwich on my plate. Gross.
But these pickles? These I love. My brother, Bill, concocted this recipe for quick dill pickles during a midsummer gathering at Mom’s, and now it’s part of my summer recipe repertoire. These crunchy, dilly, slightly sweet marinated cucumbers are perfect alongside the classic burger with a fat slice of summer tomato, or a grilled-grilled cheese with tomato.
quick pickles
2 or 3 cucumbers, preferably pickling cukes (small ones, not more than 2 inches in diameter)
1/2 cup white-wine or champagne vinegar
2 rounded tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill (include a flower head if you’d like)
In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved. Slice the cucumbers about 1/4 inch thick and add them, along with the dill, to the bowl and toss to coat well. Let sit at room temperature for an hour or more to develop flavors. For fun, serve individual servings in little 4-ounce quilted Ball jars.
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Bryn, this is so funny — Jessie and I were just having a hallway conversation about pickles and sharing our different techniques. We both tried making pickles for the first time this summer! I made easy refrigerator pickles similar to yours (with dill and garlic but no sugar), but Jessie went all out and actually canned hers, with help from her father-in-law. The timing of this post is perfect!
Amy, thanks for the comment! I love that you and Jessie have been playing around with pickling this summer.
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