Perfect Pickling Brine
Ingredients
- ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 clove garlic (omit for fruit pickles)
- Pickling items (see Our Favorite Pickles following)
Instructions
- In a small enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven, bring vinegar, ¼ cup water, salt, juniper berries, mustard seeds, and garlic (if using) to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
- Place pickling items in a pint-size canning jar. Pour hot pickling liquid into jar. Seal lid, and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Our Favorite Pickles
Pickled Blueberries: 1½ cups blueberries and 2 sprigs fresh rosemary. Brine for at least 3 hours.
Pickled Cucumbers: 1½ cups (½-inch-thick) sliced cucumber and 2 sprigs fresh dill. Brine for at least 48 hours.
Pickled Eggs : 5 to 6 hard-cooked eggs and 2 sprigs fresh dill. Brine for at least 8 hours.
Pickled Okra: 1½ cups whole small okra and 2 sprigs fresh dill or tarragon. Brine for at least 48 hours.
Pickled Red Onion: 1½ cups sliced red onion and 2 sprigs fresh dill or thyme. Brine for at least 24 hours.
Leave the vegetables raw?
Yes
Can you water bath can with this recipe?
[…] Pickled peppers, which can be canned in a water bath canner, go well with my favorite sandwich; however, plain, canned peppers are a lot better in my opinion. Plain peppers should be handled with a pressure canner because there is no added acidity from the pickled brine. […]