I have an abundance of tomatoes, okra, green beans, and cucumbers this year. I have given some away to friends. I like sharing but I'm not foolish. I need to pickle or freeze something for the winter. I would hate to be pining for frozen fresh veggies this winter.
I started planting a small garden after my favorite grocery store had too many recalls on vegetables a few years ago. I have a small garden in back yard or do the container garden on my porch.
Here are some recipes for quick and refrigerated
pickles from the web and my cookbook collection.
I do not have the patience for the canning method.
READY TO SERVE QUICK PICKLES
1/2 C vinegar
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried dill
1 bay leaf
4 medium cucumbers, sliced
In pot add vinegar, celery seed, salt, sugar, garlic,
and bay leaf.Cook over medium heat until salt and sugar dissolves. In bowl, add cucumbers and the
dill. Pour pickling liquid in the bowl and mix well.
Allow the pickles to cool. Serve room temp or chill
in fridge.
BASIC QUICK PICKLES
Brine:
1 T mustard seeds
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 1/4 C vinegar
3/4 C water
1/4 C sugar
2 T salt
1 bay leaf
Tip: Use 1 pound of your favorite garden veggies
(carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, grape or cherry
tomatoes or zucchini)
Put your veggies in quart jar but leave 1/2 inch room at the top.
Prepare brine: In a pot, add ingredients for the brine and stir to mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat until salt and sugar have dissolved.
Pour the brine into the jar, Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature. Seal the jar and store in the fridge a week before serving. Pickles will last in fridge for a month.
vegetables. These pickle recipes below were
inspired by Southern Living. I have adjusted
these recipes to fit my family's needs. Please
go to Southern Living website for exact recipe:
http://www.southernliving.com/?xid=logobar-mr
QUICK PICKLES
4 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
( 2 large)
1/2 C sliced green onions
1/2 C vinegar
3 T sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
Place cucumbers and
onions in a large bowl. Add
the rest of the ingredients to a pot. and stir to mix well. Bring brine to a boil and simmer until salt and sugar dissolves. Pour
brine over cucumber mixture. Let stand 30 minutes. Serve
with a slotted spoon.
Easy Refrigerator
Pickles
6 C sliced cucumbers
2 C thinly sliced onion
1 1/2 C vinegar
3/4 C sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Place 3 cups cucumber
in a medium glass bowl;
top with 1 cup onion.
Repeat procedure with the
remaining 3 cups
cucumber and remaining 1 cup
onion.
Combine vinegar and
remaining ingredients in a
small saucepan; stir well. Bring to a boil;
cook
1 minute. Pour over
cucumber mixture; let cool.
Cover and chill at least 4 days. Last one month
in fridge.
Quick Confetti
Pickles
1 large cucumber
1 medium yellow squash
4 tablespoons salt, divided
1 medium carrot
10 standard-size radishes
4 dill sprigs
Brine
1 C vinegar
1/4 C sugar
2 T lemon juice
2 C water
Wash and slice cucumber
and squash. Place in colander and sprinkle with 2
tablespoons salt.
Toss and let drain 30 minutes.
Peel and slice carrot
and radishes then toss
with squash and cucumbers. Pack veggies
and dill sprig in 2 (1-pt) jars. Leave ½ inch
space at top.
Add ingredients for
brine and remaining 2 Tbsp.
salt to saucepan.
Bring to boil over medium-high
heat,
stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour
hot brine over vegetables and apply lids. Chill 24 hours
before serving.Pickles last 3 weeks in fridge.
Quick Refrigerator
Pickles
1/2 C vinegar
1/4 C water
1/4 C sugar
2 tsp salt
1 flavoring variety (see below for options)
1 pound fall vegetables, steamed, boiled,
or roasted until just tender
Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and
flavoring variety of your choice in a
medium nonreactive saucepan,and bring to a boil.Stir
to
dissolve the sugar and salt, then remove
from the heat.
Divide the vegetables
evenly between jars or containers. Pour the brine over the
mixture,
leaving 1/2 inch of space between the top of
the liquid and the
lid. Cool, cover, and store
in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
3 Great Varieties
Dilly Pickles: 2 TBSP fresh dill weed, 1 TBSP
dill seeds, 2 garlic cloves (sliced), 1/2 onion (sliced).
Asian Pickles: 2 TBSP soy sauce, 1 tsp
peppercorns,
1/2-inch fresh ginger
(sliced into coins), 1 garlic clove (cut in half).
Spicy Pickles: 2-4 garlic cloves (sliced), 1 jalapeño (sliced), 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper.
Note: Jar size not given in recipe
I am trying to eat healthy so I have started stocking my fridge with fresh vegetables from my garden or from local grocery store produce isle.I make a large toss salad and keep it in the fridge and eat a small bowl of salad for a snack. I also use fresh produce
for a quick side dish during the week. Here are the
combinations I use:
LETTUCE WEDGE + DRIZZLE
OF FAVORITE SALAD DRESSING
LETTUCE LEAVES+
HANDFUL OF GRAPE OR CHERRY TOMATOES
LETTUCE LEAVES +TOMATO
SLICES + DOLLOP OF MAYO
SLICED TOMATOES
SPRINKLED WITH SALT, PEPPER, & SUGAR
GRAPE OR CHERRY TOMATOES SPRINKLED WITH SALT, PEPPER,
AND SUGAR
GRAPE OR CHERRY TOMATOES + DRIZZLE OF FAVORITE SALAD DRESSING
SLICED CUKES +
DRIZZLE OF VINEGAR + SALT + PEPPER
SLICED CUKES + SLICED ONION RINGS
LETTUCE LEAVES + PEAR
HALF + DOLLOP MAYO
CANTALOUPE WEDGE
WRAPPED WITH PROSCIUTTO HAM
SLICED KIWI FRUIT
SLICED BEETS + SLICED
ONION RINGS
SLICED BEETS + ONION
RINGS+ ORANGE SEGMENTS
GRILLED BUNCH GREEN
ONIONS
GRILLED SMALL HEADS OF ROMAINE LETTUCE
PAN FRIED GARDEN VEGGIES
1 lb sliced okra, yellow squash or zucchini
1/2 C self rising flour
1/2 C self rising corn meal
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 C oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix cornmeal,flour, and paprika in paper bag
and set aside. Rinse the sliced veggies and
sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Toss the
veggies with the flour mixture. Let veggies
stand until they look wet. Heat the oil in pan
over medium high heat. Dredge the veggies
in the flour mixture and place in the hot oil.
Shallow fry the veggies until they are golden
brown on both sides.
Tip: Add more oil if necessary. Shallow frying
healthier than deep fry. Dredging veggies
twice makes crispier coating. Cast iron pan
yield best results.
I watch a show called Deals on the Living
Well Network everyday. The premise of
the show is all about saving money on
everything from clothes to food. I saw
this recipe for green beans. It was just
what I needed to use green beans from
my garden.I adjusted it a bit to suit my
family's taste. The family loved them.
SAUTEED GREEN BEANS
1 lb. fresh green beans2 T oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Wash and trim ends off the beans. Drain well.
In pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic
and green beans to the pan. Saute' veggies
for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper,
and red pepper.
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