My boyfriend received a book for his birthday called “Wild Fermentation: the Flavor, Nutrition and Craft of Live-Culture Foods.” Since then, our house has transformed into pickle-making central! His first batch turned out better than expected, so we’re stepping it up a notch by buying pickling cucumbers and experimenting with types of brine, spiciness levels and chilled vs. pantry pickling.

Recipe: Duris Cold-Pack Refrigerator Dills

Source: Recipe from Duris Cucumber Farm in Puyallup, Washington

Get the recipe here!

Modifications, Testing and Recommendations: I recommend using pickling cucumbers if you can find them; they are smaller than garden cucumbers so they fit in the jars more easily. Pickles are very versatile and can contain many different ingredients to add flavor and spice to your cucumbers: garlic, horseradish, dill, onion, hot peppers, bell peppers, black peppercorns, whole mustard seeds, grape leaves, various types of salt, vinegar, sugar, coriander, cloves and other spices can all be used to customize pickles. Find a combination that works for you!

Once you have mastered the art of cucumber pickling, you can try your hand at pickling other vegetables like beets, green beans, onion, asparagus, radishes, cauliflower, mushrooms, garlic, jalapenos and carrots.