Guest Blogger: Quick Pickle

This is from a guest blogger, from Beth, best friend. We frequently discuss home cooking, and she has good recipes a lot of the time. I will let her guest post speak for itself. :D If you have any questions, feel free to comment and I'll let Beth clarify.

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Having recently moved back in with my parents (thanks, big university), I find myself mostly relegated to the role of backup-cook or sous-chef. My mother precariously balances the nutritional balance of four trying-to-lose weight adults with some differently picky eaters thrown into the mix. I don’t really envy her the task, it’s hard enough to just feed my sister healthy, enjoyable food.



A few weeks ago, I house-sat for a lady who grows cucumbers and tomatoes. “Take them all,” she said, and I took her at her word. The tomatoes were easier to use, they ended up as bruschetta and salsa. I had a little more trouble with the cucumbers, and I ended up doing the traditional cucumber salad, also called a quick pickle.



The basics of a cucumber quick pickle is pretty much this: slice and peel your cucumbers (if they are the tiny cucumbers, you can skip the peeling). In a measuring cup, mix together white vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. You want to have about 1/2 a cup of dressing for 4 cucumbers. This is all to taste, but I like about two tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and I really just eyeball the pepper. If the vinegar seems too potent, cut it with some water. Stick your measuring cup in the microwave, cook until hot (but not boiling) and pour it over the sliced cucumbers. You can eat it right away, but I like it covered and chilled for about twenty-four hours.



After some feedback from my sister, I found a Rachael Ray recipe that called for adding dill to the cucumbers and garlic and mustard powder to the dressing. I tried that, which is pretty good, and my mom liked it. My sister continued to not be fond of the dish, but at that point, I decided that she could make her own damn cucumbers, and went on to make it to my own preferences. The latest batch has crushed red pepper in it and one green onion sliced up and marinating with the cucumbers.


During the slicing phase, if you find your cucumbers are bitter, don't despair. Take the slices and put them all over the sides of a colander or strainer. Salt them liberally, and let them sit for half an hour or so, and then rinse them off. This will get rid of the bitterness.


Some other variations that would work include using lemon pepper or paprika. Those with a fondness for the flavor of curry could try swapping that for the mustard. What else can you think of?