The Big Guy had been groaning about the rare occurrence of Wickle's Pickles at the market recently, and since his solar return is later this month, I decided to see if I could find a copycat recipe and turn some of our beans (check out my garden posts for the low down on the bean jungle) into a tasty treat for hims.
I didn't find one, and honestly after doing a few taste tests on what we had left of our own Wickles, it's just super simple. Add sugar into the brine, boil it and pour over the veggie of your choice.
For these, you'll need about 2 pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed (about 9 cups) and when you put them in the jars, leave the wee curly bottom facing up. It makes for easier snatching and noshing out of the jar when complete.
3 Jalapeno or Chilé Peppers, sliced lengthwise (some people keep the seeds intact with the whole gig, I don't, because ... hot, ugh)
6 Cloves Garlic
3 cups distilled white vinegar
3 cups water
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ tablespoons of pickling salt
Here's the rest of the recipe I used (some notes are my own) from Eating Well:
Place a large bowl of ice water next to the stove. Bring a large pot of water to a boil in a large pot. Add half of the green beans, cover, return to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans to the ice water to cool. Repeat with the remaining beans.
Drain the cooled beans and divide among 6 pint-size (2-cup) canning jars or similar-size tempered-glass or heatproof-plastic containers with lids. Add one half of a chilé pepper and two garlic cloves to the jars.
Combine vinegar, 3 cups water, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Carefully fill jars (or containers) with brine to within 1/2 inch of the rim, covering the beans completely. (Discard any leftover brine.)
Place the lids on the jars (or containers). Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, or if you're like me, you'll put them in a water bath and boil for ten minutes so they don't have to be refrigerated, and they should keep for a couple of years. If they last that long.
Remember to use gloves and don't touch your face when cutting up the chilé peppers. I actually had an odd taste in my mouth and the steam from the sink when I washed the board made my eyes water a little.
And that's about it. I have one jar that I didn't seal in the water bath waiting for us to enjoy on The Big Guy's Birthday. We're going to have a real crab dip that afternoon with a fabulous chocolate cake ... that recipe will show up later. For now, I'm putting my feet up because this woman hasn't been doing her yoga and it's showing. That'll teach me.
I have tomatoes turning red on the vine soon, and they'll need to be turned into sauce. Maybe I should start preparing for that kitchen marathon and start up my yoga practice now?
Nah.
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