Lavender and Coriander Pickled Cucumbers

You didn’t think that just because I’m off at camp in the backwoods of Northeast Pennsylvania I’d stop posting, did you? (Yes, I’m baking and cooking at a summer camp. More about that will come in a later post, but for now be sure to follow me on Instagram to see all of my latest treats for the kiddies.)

Who doesn’t love a good pickle? I sure know I do. The best part is that they’re much simpler to prepare at home than you can imagine. All it takes is a few ingredients and time. The most basic recipe for a pickling liquid is 1 part sugar, 2 parts vinegar, 2 parts water, and a small part salt (you can never forget about the salt).

From there you can go about making alterations to reach the desired flavor you seek. You can start by trying out different types of vinegar. In this recipe I used white distilled vinegar because I had a lot on hand that I wanted to make use of, but the white wine variety is one of my favorites for pickling. (Red wine and apple cider vinegars work great as well.) Next you can play around with the aromatics you infuse into the liquid. A few garlic cloves, some mustard seeds, and a couple sprigs of dill can lead to some delicious dill pickles—better than most anything you can buy in the store if you ask me. Lastly, I’ll add that “pickles” aren’t limited to just those made with cucumbers. Try cauliflower, carrots, peppers, or even pigs’ feet for all I care! (No jokes aside. Pickled pigs’ feet is actually a thing.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white distilled vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. coriander
• 1 Tbsp. dried lavender
• 1 quart cucumbers, sliced

1. Place all ingredients except cucumbers in a saucepan over medium-high heat. (You can tie the coriander and lavender in cheesecloth for easy removal if you don’t want it floating around in the jar.) Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Let cool for 20-30 minutes.
2. While the pickling liquid is coming together, slice your cucumbers and have them ready to go. Feel free to also toss them with a little extra salt for an extra umph of flavor.
3. Place in the refrigerator and wait… The cucumbers will start to taste pickled after a relatively short period of time, but if you let them sit for a day or three then they will only taste that much better.

What kind of pickles do you plan to make?