Pack It Up Tight: Pickles for Everyone

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EVEN THOUGH SUMMER is coming to an end, you can keep enjoying summer's bounty through the winter by canning fruits and vegetables. Another way to keep produce is by making pickles. Pickles have been showing up on tables at area restaurants for some time now, and a couple local chefs offered tips on how to make them at home.

Jamie Leeds serves pickles at her gastropub, Commonwealth, and she recommends using "hardy vegetables."

"Beets, okra, cucumber, even peaches are good," she said. "Beets are hardy and they have lots of sugars in them, so it's a good contrast between the acid and the sugar."

Dean Gold, owner of and chef at Dino recommends pickling cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

"These should be blanched first if you are going to hold them for more than three or four days," he said,

Leeds and Gold say you can use any number of spices.

"Different veggies take to different spices, ," Gold said. "Every pickle starts with black peppercorns, Aleppo pepper or crushed red chile flakes."

Leeds said she uses "whatever flavors I want to use on a dish. ... I use coriander, black pepper and other peppers. I use salt, herbs and a lot of garlic in there as well."

Both chefs say you have to be careful while pickling.

"If you're doing long-term pickling and jarring, make sure the seal is properly sealed, or else bacteria will form," said Leed. "If you're not jarring, it's good to have the vegetables submerged in the liquid."

Gold also stressed the importance of keeping everything clean.

"Use boiling water or a sanitizer solution to clean your container and then let then air dry [inverted] so everything is clean when you work," he said.

Dean Gold's basic refrigerator pickle
» 1 quart rice wine vinegar with
6 percent acidity
» 1 1/2 quarts water
» 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp Morton's kosher salt
» 3 tbsp sugar
» Spices (for spicy pickles, 1/4 tsp per quart of either Aleppo pepper or crushed red chile flakes)
» 1/4 cup whole cloves of peeled garlic
» 6 quarts assorted vegetables cut for pickling

Bring the water and vinegar to a rolling boil. As it approaches a boil, add the salt and sugar and stir until the crystals dissolve completely. Add the garlic and spices when it reaches a hard boil and boil for 20 minutes. Pour over vegetables. Make sure everything stays in the liquid, especially when it is hot. Let sit at room temperature until it cools, then store in the fridge in a covered food-grade plastic container or in clean glass jars. Let it sit for three days to mellow; it will hold for about a month.

Written by Express contributor Amy Cavanaugh