Pickles in a jar
I’ve been meaning to write about pickles for quite some time now but have been completely swamped with a few other projects. But these are a staple in my kitchen in the summer and I’d recommend you try these. This is the easiest recipe for pickles. I also recently found out that people can be allergic to commercially produced pickles and those advised to steer clear of vinegar also can’t consume store-bought pickles. My version is vinegar-free. That’s right. No vinegar. The pickles are still crunchy and spicy.
In the picture, you see about 2 pounds of pickles in a 1-liter jar.
Ingredients:
2 LB pickles
1 Liter of water
1 TB salt
Garlic (cut in half, to taste, and I like a lot, so I used about 1/2 of a garlic head)
Dill (a bunch, as much as will fit into the jar)
1 red bell pepper (optional)
black peppercorns (a handful; and I forgot to add these and the pickles still turned out OK).
Steps:
1. Arrange the dry ingredients in the jar. I like to place the pickles standing up and then sprinkle the garlic and the dill around, placing the peppers into available spaces between the pickles. But you do what you like. For this jar, I just kept staking them and adding more dill between the layers.
2. Mix the salt with water. I like to boil the water first and then add the salt. I use this hot/warm water to pour over the pickles. I think it helps the process start quicker, but I didn’t experiment with the cold water. You can certainly try this with cold water.
After a few days, place in the fridge and the pickles are ready to eat in about 5 days. At this time, they’ll be “half-pickled”, so I just keep them in the fridge or on the counter for another week. They’re perfect for my taste then, if they’re not all gone after “sampling”. 
Enjoy!
