Pickling Recipes, Courtesy of Virginia Urban

Picked Radishes

• 1 bunch or 4 long radishes (about 1-pound, 400 g of radishes)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed peppercorns
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• optional: 1 chile pepper, split lengthwise

1. If using long radishes, peel them. Trim off the leaves and roots and slice thickly.
2. In a non-reactive saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar or honey to a boil, until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and add the peppercorns, garlic and chile, if using.
3. Pack the radishes in a clean pint-sized jar, and pour the hot liquid over them, adding the garlic and chile into the jar as well.
4. Cover and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
Storage: The radishes will be ready to eat after 24 hours. During storage, the liquid will turn a nice rosy color and flavors -such as garlic and hot peppers – will get stronger. The radishes can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Pickled Sugar Snap Peas

• 1 1/4 cups white distilled vinegar
  
• 1 1/4 cups cold water
  
• 1 tablespoon kosher or pickling salt
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed and strings removed
  
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  
• 1 or 2 small dried chile peppers, slit lengthwise or a couple pinches dried red pepper flakes
  

1. In a nonreactive saucepan, heat the vinegar with the salt and sugar until they are dissolved. Remove from the heat, and add the cold water. (This gives you a leg up on getting the liquid to cooling the liquid.)
2. When the vinegar mixture is cool, pack the sugar snaps, garlic and chile peppers or flakes into a 1-quart jar or bowl, and pour the brine over it. Cover with a non-reactive cap, or plastic wrap.
3. The original recipe suggests you store the jar in the refrigerator for two weeks before eating the pickled peas, but good luck with that. They’re quite delicious and already lightly pickled by 24 hours later.

Ab's B and B's

• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• pinch kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice

1. Combine onion and cucumber in a clean spring-top jar. 
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-reactice saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the flavors in the spices.
3. Slowly pour the pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slices, completely filling the jar. Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature before topping off with any remaining pickling liquid. Refrigerate. 
4. Refrigerate the pickles for a week to ripen. They will keep for about two months in the refrigerator.

Pickled Garlic Scapes

• 1/2 pound garlic spaces (approximately 2-3 bunches)
• 1 teaspoon dill seed
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 3/4 cups apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon pickling salt

1. Trim the ends of the scapes, both the blossom end and the hard bit that formed at the original cut, and cut them into lengths that will fit in your jar. Prepare a small boiling water bath and a single pint jar. Place the dill and black peppercorns in the jar. Pack the trimmed scapes into the jar.
2. Combine the vinegar, water and pickling salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Slowly pour the hot brine over the garlic scapes, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Once the jar is full, tap the jar lightly to dislodge any air bubbles. Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary.

3. Wipe the rim, apply the lid and ring, and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let these pickles cure for at least a week before eating. Pickles will last for several weeks in refrigerator after initial seal is broken.

Pickled Beets

• 1 small red onion, halved and sliced
• 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 3 cups steamed sliced beets, 1/2-1 inch thick

Combine onion, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the onion is tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in beets. Transfer to a large bowl and let marinate, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.