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Canning


Makes enough for a 16 oz jar
½ cup vinegar
½ cup water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Add the ingredients to a small (1-quart) saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. While the liquid heats, fill a jar with the produce of your choice.

Carefully pour the hot liquid into the jar, making sure it covers the produce completely. Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before sampling.

For a stronger vinegar flavor in your pickles, increase the amount of vinegar and reduce the amount of water. If you’re feeling bold, do an all-vinegar pickle. However, don’t go below a 1:1 ratio on vinegar to water or the solution will be too weak.

White vinegar is the most versatile vinegar to use for pickling because it’s a blank canvas. However, apple cider vinegar or red or white wine vinegar can be swapped in for other flavor options. Balsamic vinegar is usually too intense for pickling, though you could try using white balsamic vinegar in place of half your usual vinegar to add sweetness and depth.

If you want to make a sweet pickling liquid for onions or jalapeños, switch the ratio of sugar to salt or increase the amount of sugar to ¼ cup per every cup of liquid.

As for herbs and spices, experiment with both fresh and dried options. Dill is a classic, but you can also try thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon and others from the garden. Whole spices, such as peppercorns, mustard, bay leaves and cloves are common, but you can also add whole or crushed chile peppers, cinnamon sticks or star anise.

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