It has been an unusual couple of weeks here in Utah- It has rained almost everyday consistently for more than a week. Rainy weather = movie days and new kitchen experiments. I have a bizarre love for pickles. Mostly dill pickles, but I’m also not picky when it comes to pickles, I love them all. I also love weird combinations of pickles- If you’ve never tried a pickle and peanut butter sandwich, you’re seriously missing out (I know your intrigued now…so just try it.) Fall is harvest time for the mini pickling cucumbers, so I decided to attempt my first ever pickling adventure. It’s easy to find the mini cucumbers at the farmers markets or local market… but the hardest part? Figuring out which kind of delicious pickle to make! So I decided to test out two different recipes- the Classic Dill and the Spicy Garlic Dill. Both turned out amazing! If you love the classics go for the Dill but if your looking to spicy things up, the spicy garlic packs a punch- or go my route and make both! Fresh pickles all winter long- what could be better?  Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

• 8-12 small pickling cucumbers (kirby) (approximately 3 pounds)
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups filtered water
• 2 tablespoons pickling salt (or Kosher Sea Salt)
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 teaspoons dill seed
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 4 half pint mason jars

Directions:

1. Wash mason jars with hot soapy water or disinfect by putting them through the dishwasher or boiling water bath prior to canning for shelf storage. (you don’t need to do this if you plan on keeping the in the refrigerator.
2. Wash and dry cucumbers. Cut off ends and depending on your preference, cut into chips, spears or leave whole. I used my mandolin with the ruffle edge blade to cut my cumbers into ruffled chips!
3. Combine vinegar, water and salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. (If you don’t have pickling salt be sure to use Kosher sea salt- table salt does not work for pickling).
4. Combine dill seeds, pepper corns and chili flakes together in a bowl. Divide mixture and garlic equally among the 4 mason jars. Pack cut cumbers as tightly as you can into the jars without crushing them.
5. Pour brine into the jars leaving 1/4″ of room at the top of the jar. Remove any air bubbles by tapping the side of the jars. Wipe the rims of the jars and apply lids and bands.
6. If processing jars for shelf stability, lower jars into your processing pot. When water returns to a boil, set a timer for 10 minutes. When time is up, remove jars from canning pot and allow them to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, check seals.
7. If you choose not to process your jars, let them cool before putting them into the refrigerator. Do note that your jars may seal during the cooling process. However, without the boiling water bath process, that doesn’t mean they’re shelf stable. Still refrigerate.
8. Allow pickles to marinate for at least one week in the fridge before eating. Enjoy! Classic Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

• 8-12 small pickling cucumbers (kirby) (about 3pounds)
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons pickling salt
• 4 heads fresh dill or 4 teaspoons dill seeds
• 4 small cloves garlic
• 4 half pint mason jars

Directions:

1. Use the same processes as above to clean mason jars. Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan, bringing to a boil. Divide dill, garlic and pickles equally between the 4 jars. Follow steps 5-8 above.
2. Enjoy!