I Don't Want a Pickle, All I Want ..... is a SPICY PICKLE RECIPE

My wife and I both love fresh Cucumbers, and we really love good Pickled Cucumbers.

When regular or pickling Cucumbers are in Season we love to buy them regularly and eat them in Salads, on Sandwiches, and as appetizers with crackers.

But our favorite use of the fresh cool delights is to make a nice combination of Cucumbers, Jalapeno Peppers, Onions, and some select Spices in a mixture of Vinegar and Water. We then age the mixture for a few days, and attack them as snacks between meals, and even on our favorite sandwiches.

Now, these are not exactly the processed and canned Pickles you buy in the Supermarket, They are not meant to be sealed and stored for months. Real Pickles usually have a lot of Salt, and are made using one of many specific process'. This recipe is a way to utilize fresh Cucumbers, add a lot of flavor, and keep them for several weeks as you eat through them,

• 6 (3-ounces) Jalapeno Peppers - Fresh
• 1 Large (1-oz) Banana Pepper - Fresh
• 1/2 (3-oz) Onion (of your choice
• 6-7 oz. Cucumbers (sliced)
• 2-tsp Garlic-Dill Seasoning
• 2-tsp Salt
• 2-tbs Balsamic Vinegar
• 2-tsp Peppercorns, cracked or rough ground
• 2- Large Garlic Cloves (chopped)
• Liquid Mixture Mix 50-50 White Vinegar and Water

1. Wear Gloves to prepare the ingredients if you are smart. Otherwise you can end up spending the next several days with smelly hands. And ..... Keep them away from your eyes. I speak from experience!
2. Slice the Jalapeno Peppers into rings, and remove the Seeds and the remaining ribs from the rings. Remember the seeds are the hottest part of the Pepper.
3. Slice the Banana Peppers into rings.
4. Slice the Onion into rings and tear the larger rings in half.
5. Slice the Cucumbers into slices about 1/8-inch thick
6. Place all of these ingredients into a quart container with a removable lid. For guests, I use a nice "old-style" glass canning jar, such as the one in the picture. For day to day, or to give to friends, I use a large plastic peanut jar with a lid, like the one in the other picture. Really, you just need a quart container with a wide mouth and a good top.
7. Add the remaining ingredients to the jar, including the: Garlic and Dill Seasoning, Salt, Balsamic Vinegar, Peppercorns, and Garlic cloves.
8. If the jar is not full, add more sliced Cucumbers.
9. Pour a mixture of 50% White Vinegar and 50% Water to the Jar until all of the ingredients are covered.
10. Place the cover onto the Jar and shake until all of the ingredients are mixed well, then sit the Jar aside (room Temperature or chilled in the Fridge) for 3-4 days.

First off, this recipe needs time for the different flavors to inter-mix, and blend well, and I have found that this is usually the 3-4 days I mentioned.

And I usually turn the jar upside down and shake it once a day to keep this flavor blending active.

Once aged, just open the top and spear a couple of the Cucumber slices any time the urge hits you and enjoy. The Cucumbers will have a strong tart flavor at first, and about the time you have swallowed, the Spicy Heat from the Peppers and other ingrediants will follow.

Delicious is what I call them, and I believe you will also.

Now for the best part. When you see that you have eaten most of the Cucumbers, just add more and cover with mire of the Vinegar/Water mixture, cover shake well, wait 3-4 days to age them, and start eating these great Pickled Cukes again.

I have re-filled the same Jars over 4 times now, with no noticeable reduction in the Spicy flavors from the other ingredients.

And, the great thing is that this is a healthy snack or appetizer, as you prefer, that goes great with cheeses and breads, is fantastic on sandwiches, and is relativelylow in Calories, Fats and Sugars. (Just don't sit with a fork and eat the whole jar at one time).

According to Wikipedia, a whole (3.5-oz. or 100g) cucumber has the following nutritional values: Carbohydrates-3.6g, Sugars-1.67g, Fiber-0.5g, Protein-0.5g, Fats-0.11g. Using these numbers for a raw Cucumber, after soaking them in the mixture above will not change the values here very much, except for the Balsamic Vinegar, which, does have enough Sugar to raise that value some.

Go Crazy, if you want!

Here are some suggestions to vary the flavors and/or foods pickled. I am sure you will come up with your own, after you try this Recipe and see how easy it is to make:

• Vary the Vinegar and Water mixture to control the Tartness.
• Remember the small amount of Balsamic Vinegar? ..... It has an affect on the overall flavor (and Sugar level, but not significant), so increase or decrease it to your taste.
• For the Brave, put some of the Jalapeno seeds into the mixture at the beginning. It not only kicks up the overall heat, but the seeds turn into little floating "flavor bombs" when they stick to the Cucumbers.
• I like the added Onion pieces, after they are pickled, but you can try other vegetables:

• If hard canning Pears are available, cut them into cubes or slices and pickle them along with the Cucumbers. They are really fantastic on Crackers as Appetizers or on Sandwiches.
• For the true Lover of Heat, slice a nice fresh Habanero Pepper, or any of the other high-power Peppers available at the time into the mixture. I have found, though, that the higher the temperature, the more people there are that will not eat the Cukes, so balance your flavors for your audience.

Use this Recipe, and Enjoy!

And, when you use this recipe, let me know what you think of it, as well as any modifications you may have used. I would be very interested.

BELOW are links to a couple of the FOOD related product sites that I use the most. I highly recommend them for the discerning CHEF or CONSUMER of fine food.

Here is a great link to the CHEFS Catalog Top Rated Customer Favorites. Whether you are a Chef, or a discerning Cook, this vendor sells almost anything that you might want for preparing your favorite dishes. I use a number of the products that they have available.

Try this vendor: PASTA CHEESE if you like serving great Pastas and Cheeses as part of your meals. They have a fantastic variety of common and exotic products for you to use.

DON

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