Dill-icious

High fives for a clever title, right? Really though, I do think I deserve an ounce of culinary cred for whipping out three jars of pickles today. THREE JARS! Somebody say slam dunk for snack foods! Ok, I’ll stop high-fiving myself…in about five minutes.

Truth is, this is my second round of pickles in less than a week. I had to make additional jars of pickles because I downed my first batch in about two days. No no, I’m not having “the cravings”–pickles are just that good, especially during the summertime, especially when you make them yourself. And not that it matters, because I’m a neat freak, but clean up’s a breeze with pickles; all the ingredients get dropped in the jar! Bam!

Since I’m not actively preparing for the Mayan Apocalypse, I didn’t have any of the proper canning supplies (fancy jars with fancy lids and such). So I threw out cleaned out the contents of store-bought pickles to make room for my BETTER pickles. Mmhmm, my better pickles. Mt. Olive misinforms of sweet gherkins, but there’s nothing but spicy dills in there now, baby!

These are just so easy, you have to try! And then you can high five yourself all day like I did.

Spicy Pickles

adapted from Turntable Kitchen

2 large cucumbers, or 8-10 kirby cucumbers

2 tablespoons of kosher salt

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 1/2 cups of distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons of coriander seeds

8 garlic cloves peeled and halved

2-3 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, with seeds mostly removed (leave some for extra spice)

8 dill sprigs

1. Pack the cucumber slices, jalapeno halves and dill springs into a 2 quart-sized jars
2. In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, vinegar, coriander and garlic halves. Whisk vigorously until the salt and sugar dissolve.
3. Add 2 cups of water to the mixture and pour the brine over the cucumbers. Add more water to the jar to fully cover the cucumbers and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.