Dead Simple Dill Pickles

I have been dreaming of old-fashioned, homemade pickles since last winter, when I picked out some pickling cucumber heirloom seeds to plant this year. The weather delayed the harvest, so when pickling cucumbers began popping up in the farmer's market last week, and my own crop had just begun to produce, I was too anxious to wait!

I have never made pickles before, and it strikes me as a wonderfully old-fashioned way to preserve produce. I decided I would first tackle the most basic thing possible: A simple dill pickle.

I found a recipe that sounded easy enough, but later when the jars were already sealed and stored, I began to worry. Most of the other pickle recipes I was seeing online included a lot of seasonings like mustard seeds, special ingredients to preserve the crunch factor, and so on... I became so worried about my humble pickles that it took me a week to crack open a jar and timidly do a taste test.

Fantastic! They are crunchier and crisper than anything I've had from the store or from a restaurant, and with a good balance of flavors between the dill and vinegar. If you're looking for an easy recipe for beginners and want to try your hand at homemade pickles, this is a great place to start. And you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry!

NOTE: After washing your cukes, sort them into piles by size. This uniformity of size will help your jars look nicer and the cukes will fit better into the jars.

Dead Simple Dill Pickles

7 wide-mouth quart jars, lids and rings
1 bunch fresh dill
25-30 pickling cucumbers, washed and scrubbed and halved or quartered, it's up to you!
7 garlic cloves (or more)

Brine:

8 1/2 c. water
2 1/4 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. kosher salt

GET ALL OF THIS GOING BEFORE FILLING THE JARS
1. Wash the jars in hot, soapy water (or dishwasher); rinse and fill with hot water. Set aside.
2. Fill canning kettle half-full with hottest tap water; set on burner over high heat.
3. In a medium saucepan, fit lids and rings together, cover with water, bring to a simmer.
5. In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to boil; turn off the heat; set aside.
6. FILL JARS: place a layer of dill and one garlic clove at the bottom of each jar. Then tightly load the cukes into the jar to the NECK of the jar. Squeeze cukes into the jar tightly. Uniform size helps; add a few spriglets of dill at the top, too. You can add another garlic clove if you like (optional).
7. Once jars are loaded, pour in the bring leaving half-inch head space in each jar.
8. Add lid and ring to each jar, tightening evenly.
9. Place jars into canned with water JUST to the necks of the jars.
10. Bring water ALMOST to a boil (about 15 min, depending on how fast it heats up).
11. Remove jars, set on a dish towel on the kitchen counter, cover with another dish towel, and let cool.
12. Check for seal, label jars, and store in a cool dark place.

Redemption at the Church Potluck

This Sunday, our church had an informal potluck in honor of Father’s Day after the services had concluded. Having recently read "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollen, the spread of food offerings depressed me somewhat in the sense that it seemed representative of all that is wrong with the way we eat in America today. Quantity trumps quality. Processed food reigns and we consider American cheese and white bread an acceptable sandwich. I watch as the re-heated frozen meatballs becomes the first dish to be emptied by the hungry crowd. Meanwhile, children make a grab for the sugary Twizzlers and cocoa puff-marshmallow squares for dessert. Even the veggie trays cradles sad, faded, pre-cut specimens that probably saw their best day sometime a week ago.

Then, in the middle of the table, a shining beacon of hope: Slices of our bishop’s wife’s famous homemade bread and chunky strawberry jam (possibly homemade). Now, that’s more like it! As Michael Pollen and Jamie Oliver have asserted, the hope of America’s health relies on a return to homemade, real food like our great-grandparents would have eaten 100 years ago.

Yes, I know that men and women today are busy and their priorities may not place old-fashioned acts such as making bread at the top of their to-do list. But biting into that slice of fresh bread spread with berry preserves reminded me of everything that is good about life. It showed that someone was willing to honor the fathers in our life by investing a piece of themselves and their time in the act of nourishing the body and soul.

So if you get a chance, make something from scratch this week for someone you love. Here’s a recipe for strawberry jam to help you get started thinking of the possibilities.

Fresh Strawberry Jam

Adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten

2 cups sugar
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions

Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat until the strawberries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Continue to cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate. (I keep one in the freezer.) Total cooking time may be around 40-60 minutes, but will vary.

Pour carefully into 2 pint canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately, or follow proper canning guidelines to preserve them.