OCTOBER 27 • 2022 | 31

THE BASIC QUICK PICKLE RECIPE 
Makes approximately 2 pints.

Ingredients
1 lb. fresh vegetables, cleaned and trimmed
2 to 3 sprigs fresh herbs, such as dill, thyme 
or rosemary
1 to 2 tsps. of whole spices, such as corian-
der, black peppercorns or mustard seeds
2 cloves of garlic, smashed or sliced
1 cup vinegar, such as white, red wine, cider 
or rice
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. sugar

Directions
1. Wash the jars with warm, soapy 
water, rinse well and dry thoroughly. 
2. Divide the fresh herbs, spices and 
garlic and place into the jars. Put the 
fresh vegetables into the jars, leav-
ing a half inch of space at the top. 
3. Bring the vinegar, water, salt and 
sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, 
dissolving the salt and sugar. Pour 
the brine over the vegetables to 
cover them completely. 
4. Gently tap the jars on the counter 
to release any air bubbles, adding 
more brine, if necessary. Place the 
lids on top, sealing them tightly. 
Allow to cool to room temperature, 
then refrigerate, unopened, for 48 
hours. Enjoy for up to 2 months. 

Adapted from thekitchn.com

Museum believe that it dates back 
as early as 2400 B.C.E., from the 
Mesopotamian era. Each region 
uses its unique set of ingredients 
to ferment fruits, vegetables and 
meats. For example, in Korea there’s 
kimchi; the Middle East has torshi, 
and Morocco preserves its lemons. 
Sauerkraut remains a German 
staple; France presents cornichons; 
and, in Italy, there’s giardiniera. 
Ashkenazi shtetl communities 
began putting vegetables into 
large barrels to ferment in the sun, 
then would store them in cool 
locations. Easy to eat, inexpensive 
and available all year, they became 
a dietary staple throughout central 
and eastern Europe. According to 
The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia 
Roden, immigrants from Poland, 
Lithuania, the Ukraine and Russia 
brought their pickles and pickle 
recipes with them to New York. 
Merchants selling them out of 
barrels and pushcarts on city streets 
popularized them. 
By the 1920s, the Lower East 

Side had close to 80 kosher pickle 
factories, creating the largest pickle 
industry in the world, according to 
Aish.com. The popular version, with 
dill, garlic, salt and spices, we know 
as the classic kosher dill. Today, 
no deli sandwich in America is 
complete without one.
Pickling can be done by one of 
two methods, either marinating 
foods in an acid, like a vinegar, or 
soaking them in a salty fluid or 
brine. The solutions ferment the 
vegetables over time, dropping the 
PH levels. A low PH allows for the 
growth of good nutritional bacteria 
and becomes inhospitable to the 
harmful species. 
A variety of foods can be 
pickled, including fruits, meats 
and vegetables such as cauliflower, 
cabbage, onions, beets, asparagus 
and green beans. The flavors range 
between sweet, sour, salty, hot or a 
blend. 
I consider different pickling spices 
as I place my Farber Farm volunteer 
bounty into the car. There’s plenty 

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