PORTLAND, Maine — If you are dreaming about what you'll plant in your garden (soon?!) - you might want to include some veggies that could be easily pickled and see how creative you might get. Chef Ben Hasty from Engrain Kitchen in South Berwick joins us in the 207 kitchen with a super simple method to pickle just about any veggie that suits your fancy. You'll need quart-size Mason jars or deli containers; these amounts made four jars of veggies.
- 4 cups of vegetables - cucumbers, red or green peppers, cauliflower, carrots, red onions, green tomatoes -- all are good choices!
- 1/2 cup kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 bunch dill
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1-quart white vinegar
- 2 or 3 chili peppers (optional)
- 4 one-quart containers with lids -- Mason jars, or plastic delicatessen containers -- any non-reactive container
Preparation:
Peel and slice four cups of veggies for pickling. Place cut veggies in a bowl, or separate bowls if you want to keep the various veggies separate -- and salt heavily. Toss veggies to cover with salt. Let the veggies sit and 'breathe' for about 20 minutes while they absorb the salt. Rinse thoroughly, a step we did not include (due to time!) when we made these in the 207 kitchen.
Place the various veggies into the jars. Cover with vinegar, add garlic, and dill for flavor. For additional spice, you can add chili peppers (optional).
Cover, and put your jars in the refrigerator. They should sit for at least two hours but can stay indefinitely in the frig. You can chop the pickled vegetables into your salad, enjoy them in a sandwich, or by themselves.
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