JK Deerfield Pickles

Recipe Author 

Andrew Shuman

 Recipe Type 

Snack 

Recipe Title 

JK Deerfield Pickles 

Serving(s) 

10; 2 one-quart jars

Prep Time 

10 mins

Cook Time 

3 hrs

Dietary Restrictions (e.g., Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian) 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Soy Free

Ingredients 

For Pickling

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups white vinegar
• ½ cup salt
• ¼ cup white sugar
• Canning jars, canning seals, and canning lids

Per Jar

• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• At least 1 tablespoon whole mustard seed
• At least 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• Handful of fresh dill
• 4 cloves of peeled and crushed fresh garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• Cucumbers (either whole pickling cucumbers, or sliced and quartered)
• (Optional) chopped vegetables - peppers, mushrooms, or small onions are recommended

Directions (Steps, Oven Temperature, Time per Step) 

1. In a medium pot, add water and vinegar and heat on the stove on low heat possible (if using a gas stove, the flame should be barely visible to prevent water from boiling: 140-150 degrees is ideal). Be sure to account for jars when calculating water volume needed. 

1. Dissolve salt and sugar in the combined water, vinegar mixture
2. Meanwhile, place garlic and dill in the bottom of the pickling jars, then add   remaining ingredients, saving the cucumbers for last
3.  Pour vinegar/water/salt/sugar mix into jars and hand tighten with lid and ring
4. Place in a heated water bath for 2.5- 3 hours and cover, making sure the water does not to boil (a sous vide machine can be used for this)
5. Remove jars from water bath and place on a towel to cool on the countertop
6. Once the jars are cool to touch, place in the refrigerator overnight 
7. Pickles can be stored unopened at room temperature for up to 6 months 

Suggested Pairings (Optional) 

A nice refreshing drink of choice.

Recipe’s Story: Anecdote (Three to Five Sentences) 

After a bumper crop of cucumbers, I had to find something to do with them. Pickles seemed like the natural answer. Deerfield staff is often the recipient of my weekend experiments, as I work there on Mondays. Sometimes they like the outcome, sometimes they don’t. Either way, they are very vocal. This was the first time the recipe was requested for one of my “experiments” and has now moved into the “make again” category in the Shuman house and for the Deerfield breakroom. 

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