Meze Pickles Recipe
Fresh Refrigerator Pickles Make a Summer Meze Table Complete
Refrigerator pickles take small amounts of produce from the garden and transforms them into the perfect companion for a late summer meal - or a meze table.
Pickles have been an integral part of the traditional meze table for as long as people have been enjoying this delightful form of nibbling over great conversation. These pickles go wonderfully with a meze spread - large or small - and are extremely easy to make. As these do not require any canning equipment to make and are a terrific way to put by all those small amounts of green tomatoes, small cucumbers, green beans, peppers and other produce typical of a straggling small garden harvest, make them often and eat them quickly! The coriander and fennel seeds make the flavor slightly more "Middle Eastern" - but are not necessary to produce a fine late summer pickle.
Ingredients
- Small Cucumbers (either "baby" sized or cut into about 1 inch pieces).
- Cauliflower (cut into small flowerettes)
- Sweet Red, Yellow and/or Orange Peppers (cut into about 1 inch squares)
- Green Tomatoes (choose smaller ones and cut them into quarters)
- Baby Carrots
- Green Beans (cut into about 2 inch lengths)
- Chili Peppers (whole – enough to put one into each jar made)
- Fresh Dill ( Enough to put 2-3 nice sized sprigs into each jar made)
- Garlic Cloves (Kept whole and peeled – enough to put one into each jar made)
- Coriander or Fennel seeds (optional)
For Brine:
- 3 quarts of water
- 1 quart of White, Distilled Vinegar
- 1 Cup of Kosher Salt
Method:
- Thoroughly wash and cut vegetables to be pickled. Set aside.
- Thoroughly wash – and sterilize – small jars enough to hold the pickles. (NOTE: I find it best to make this in small quantities and not actually can and seal the contents for long term use. A small batch of these will keep well, just tightly capped in the refrigerator for at least a week or two).
- Fill each jar about ¾ full with cut up vegetables, 1 garlic clove, 1 or 2 Dill tops, 1 hot pepper and about a teaspoon of coriander or fennel seeds (optional).
- Boil the water, vinegar, salt and remaining dill stalks together for approximately 10 minutes.
- Pour the boiled, hot brine over the vegetables to fill to overflowing. (NOTE: Best to do this process in a sink, as it can get messy and you really do want to totally fill the jars and get all of the air out of them).
- Quickly cover each jar, screwing down the lids as tightly as is possible.
- Let cool to room temperature (to avoid a sudden cool down, which could crack the jars).
- Refrigerate and pickle for about 3 –4 weeks.
- Serve as a meze, appetizer, or with any number of dishes – but use them up quickly, as these ar ebest when still fairly fresh.
