Here’s a quick recipe that we used to make at home all the time. Our very dear family friend Barb taught my mom to make instant pickles with rice vinegar. All you do is peel and slice your cucumber, pour rice vinegar over it, add a liberal amount of black pepper, and let them sit for 30 minutes or so.
A note: They turned out really strong this time. Next time I might cut the vinegar with a little water if I want to eat them plain. But on sandwiches/burgers they tasted great! I really love pickles and am thinking of experimenting with real dill pickles. But maybe I’m better off just buying a jar of Claussens and calling it a day?
OH MY GOD!!! Yum, yum, yum! I have to admit, I played with it a little … I added some shallots and a pinch of sugar, and I used pink peppercorns as well as black.
I don’t think I’ll ever buy pickles again, my dear!
Forget Claussen’s! I want to know what your creative cook’s brain comes up with!
Thanks for sharing this! I will make these today. They sound so wonderful and surprising easy!
AtB, let me know how yours turn out!
Germi, you’re a creative genius; those changes sound great. The shallots, especially: my mom always says that if someone would just give her unlimited shallots and leeks she’d be happy as a clam, and we know what a smart lady my mom is!
My grandfather always made these when I was growing up. In our family, you soak the cucumbers first in very salty water. Rinse. Then, put cucumbers and thin slices of onions into cider vinegar with a tiny bit of sugar. The extra steps (salt water, sugar) may seem extraneous but they make a huge difference.