CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Quick Pickles

Here’s a nice recipe if you have some extra cucumbers.

Quick Pickles

2 pounds pickling cucumbers or sliced cucumbers

1 cup champagne vinegar

1 cup cider vinegar

½ cup sea or kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons pickling spices

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 pound onions, peeled and sliced

3 large sprigs fresh dill (more to taste if using cucumbers)

Place cucumbers into one or more sealable containers; nestle into bowl of ice water. Set aside. Combine vinegars, ½ cup tap water, salt, sugar, pickling spices, red pepper, onions in large pan. Bring to boil; reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes. Add dill; let cool to room temperature. Pour vinegar mixture into containers. Close containers, remove from ice bath. Refrigerate 24 hours or preferably for 3 to 5 days. Pickles will keep for 3 weeks refrigerated in airtight container.

Yield: Serves 16.

Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at GrandForksHerald.com.

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