Let’s Cheer For National Pickle Month

July is National Pickle Month and that’s a great thing since your garden is probably overflowing with cucumbers right about now!  If you haven’t tried homemade pickles, now is the time to start, especially since I’ve got a few great recipes that are super easy.

The two most popular varieties are dill pickles and “bread and butter” pickles.  Dill pickles are known for their tart, tangy flavor and are the most often pickle wedge you’ll find accompanying your meal when you order a deli sandwich.  Dill pickles are also often found in “barrels” at markets where you can use tongs to select them and then place them in a bag.  I remember doing this as a kid and choosing the biggest pickle I could find so I could cut the pickle and put the slices on my sandwiches.  I found this terrific recipe for Easy Garlic and Dill Pickles you’ll definitely want to try this summer.  This recipe uses a brine mixture and requires no cooking.  Coriander, fresh dill and garlic add flavor to the fresh cucumbers and the pickles are ready after 24 hours in the refrigerator and last up to a month.

There are few flavors that remind me of my childhood more than bread and butter pickles.  My grandmother and my mother both made them each summer and I recall eating sandwiches stacked with their sweet flavor.  That’s the thing about bread and butter pickles–they have a sweet/savory taste and the addition of onion in the pickle mix makes them even more delicious!  My sister brought me a jar last year, made with fresh cucumbers from her garden and the flavor brought back all the memories from my childhood.  I was able to find another simple recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles that requires very little effort to recreate this tasty treat.  Again, these pickles are ready after 24 hourd in the refrigerator and they will last 2 weeks in an airtight container.  The only cooking is to simmer the sauce of sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and ground turmeric.

Considering cucumbers are in season right now and are delicious and nutritious (they are a good source of Vitamin C!), try pickling them this season for a new way of taking advantage of this summer veggie.

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