In September 2012, I wrote about a road-trip that Alan and I took up to Oregon. It included a stop at Suzy and Barry Stone’s incredible home on the Rogue River. Two lovely, generous hearted people with a vegetable garden to match (lovely and generous hearted!) That vegetable garden was something to behold and as evidenced by photos that Barry sent to me last week it’s even bigger and better four years later. How I would love to be there in that garden, with those lovely people, strolling through the garden, cooking, and river rafting, and hanging out… When Barry sent me photos of the updated garden he also told me about the jamming and canning that he’d been doing this summer. Apricot, peach, dill pickles. I was all over that one – dill pickles. Off I went to the Mar Vista farmer’s market to find pickling cucumbers and they were gorgeous and ‘organic’ (whatever that means these days) and I also bought beautiful dill from the flower people at the Mar Vista farmer’s market. Barry was kind enough to share his recipe which is uncomplicated and yields perfect pickles. I have some in the fridge and some I canned – waiting for recipients.
Here’s how.
BARRY’S ‘Barry Good’ DILL PICKLES
Ingredients:
4 pounds of pickling cucumbers
8 cups water
6 Tbsp kosher salt
1 cup white vinegar (apple cider vinegar would also work)
½ tsp black peppercorns
6 cloves of garlic sliced
8 large dill sprigs and dill flowers
2 onions sliced or diced
Directions:
Boil the water and vinegar and salt as a brine and let it cool completely. Slice the cucumbers about ¼ inch thick or if small, leave them whole. Layer the cucumbers in a large bowl with some onion, garlic and dill and peppercorns sprinkled on each layer Pour the cooled brine over the layered cucumbers Put a pot lid or something else heavy on top to keep the cucumbers submerged. Let them sit out at room temperature for 2 or 3 days or more, to taste. Put some in the refrigerator. Can some in a water bath, for later use or gifts.
