remember when m made pickles? i’m always on the lookout for recipes i want to try so it’s no surprise that i found this recipe on foodnetwork.com. ted allen underestimates the power of pickles; the recipe says that they will last for about 3 months but ours lasted only a few days. and now i’ve moved on to trying to make giardiniera.

Ingredients

For the brine:
10 cloves garlic, peeled (i used 12)
2 cups white vinegar
6 teaspoons kosher salt
Several sprigs of fresh dill (about 8 sprigs for each pickle jar)
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed (1 jar had yellow seeds, 1 jar had black seeds – i think i like the yellow seeds better)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns (if you have ’em)

For the vegetables:
6 Kirby cucumbers, quartered lengthwise
6 young spring carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 handful large scallion pieces or green beans
A few pieces of cauliflower to tuck wherever they’ll fit
4 small hot red chiles or 2 jalapenos (i used 2 serranos per jar – not nearly hot enough)

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil, reduce the heat so the water simmers and add the garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and salt, raise the heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves. Remove from the heat.

In 2 clear 1-quart jars, place a few sprigs of dill. Divide the seeds and peppercorns between the jars. Using tongs, remove the garlic from the brine and place 5 cloves in each jar. Then pack the jars full of cucumbers, carrots, scallions or green beans, cauliflower and chiles. You want them to be tightly stuffed.

Bring the brine back to a boil, pour it over the vegetables to cover completely, let cool, then cover and refrigerate. The pickles will taste good in just a few hours, better after a couple of days. And they’ll keep for about 3 months.