QUICK COLIMA SEA SALT PICKLES

Pickles are one of those things you add to a sandwich as kind of an afterthought. They’re crunchy and add a bit of tangy flavor, but I’ve never found them to be anything special.

Until I made my own. Homemade pickles are like a completely different product than almost anything you can buy at the grocery store. They taste like, well, like cucumbers, instead of crunchy vinegar bombs.

This easy recipe makes a perfect snack, appetizer, or addition to a sandwich. And, it’s pretty fast, and doesn’t require canning like traditional pickling does. You can also use this method to pickle whatever vegetable you like, so it’s great for quickly preserving leftover veggies before they turn to mush.

You can also use whatever herbs or spices you want, so don’t feel confined to something like dill, for example. For my first batch, I used cracked black pepper, mustard seeds, and red pepper flakes, and white wine vinegar, and they came out fantastic. A really clean, fresh flavor, that wasn’t too vinegary. White or apple cider vinegar work nicely as well. I used an equal mix of vinegar to water, but you can adjust based on your preferences.

You can store these in jars or other airtight containers, and they should last several weeks or longer in your fridge. These are not the same as canned pickles, which will last much longer. So it’s best to eat them right away, although I imagine that won’t be much of a problem.