What are you doing with your down time? Some quarantines are lifting now, and life might start to speed up a bit, but for the last while, like most of you, I've been staying home.
And making refrigerator pickles! Okay, maybe I'm alone in the pickle-making, but there have been a lot of pickles happening in the Johns home. Because why not? It’s a great quarantine activity, only takes 24 hours, and at the end, you have the most delicious pickles you have tasted in your life.
Seriously! They’re that good–and very simple!
First of all, these are the ingredients I used:
- Small cucumbers, quartered
- Pickling salt–2 heaping tablespoons
- Pickling spices (I just bought a package of them already mixed. Easier than trying to recreate it.)–2 heaping tablespoons
- Hot pepper flakes–just a pinch
- White sugar–1 teaspoon
- 5 or 6 garlic cloves smashed
- Lemon juice–1 cup
- Water–1 cup
So first of all, I put everything into a small pot, stirred it up, and put it on the heat. Once it started to boil, I took it off the heat and let it cool down. This is the brine.
Then I put the brine over the quartered cucumbers, sealed it in a Tupperware container and stuck it in the fridge for 24 hours.
And here they are finished! DELICIOUS! Tasty, garlicky, and just so good.
So this is what I’m up to, getting back to some simpler cooking, and writing books!
Have you been trying your hand anything new while staying at home? I'd love to hear about it!
And while we're slowing down and relaxing, don't forget my new release, THEIR MOUNTAIN REUNION. With a forty-ish heroine and a man from her past that she knows better than to fall for again... Melanie just wants to restart her life. But when her ex's teenage daughter lands on her doorstep, it won't be quite so simple.
The Second Chance Dinner Club is filled with women who've been there for before. They've all gone through their own painful divorces, but they're determined to come out the other side happy and whole. Somehow, good friends, food and wine make second chances feel a little more possible...
Out now!
***
A new start…
With an old flame?
Fifteen years in an unhappy marriage showed Melanie Isaacs exactly what she didn’t want. Now she’s in Mountain Springs to figure out the rest of her life—even if it means facing her former sweetheart, Logan McTavish. The spark between Logan and Melanie is stronger than ever. But is it enough to heal two weary, damaged hearts…and show them the way to a new happiness?
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Patricia, because I have a family of pickle lovers. I recently made pickled red onions and pickled jalapeños. These look yummy. Beautiful cover on your new book and I’m looking forward to reading about the Second Chance Dinner Club.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Janice! :) I
DeleteWe got a bunch of bananas. Last night I made two loaves of banana bread. One goes to the person who gave me the bananas. I have 6 more loves to make today. They only take 15 of prep time. Most are going in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! You're going to be able to enjoy banana bread for a while!
DeleteI've never seen pickles made with lemon juice instead of vinegar. I'll bet they are good! Really enjoyed the story, especially the friendship among the women helping one another rebuild.
ReplyDeleteBecause of allergies, I can't use vinegar. So this is the next best thing. For me, I can't taste the difference.
DeleteGreat to hear your heroine is in her forties! I wrote one with 'mature' protagonists and it added a whole new dimension to conflicts and interests. Hope this becomes a trend! And I'll have to pass the pickle recipe on to my daughter. She's a pickle fiend.
ReplyDeleteI found the "mature" heroine added a whole new level, too! I loved writing her! And I hope your daughter enjoys the recipe!
DeleteMy mom made these pickles... Thanks for the memory trip. The book sounds so good. I don't have it yet, but getting there...
ReplyDeleteThat's so neat! :) I feel like I'm in good company.
DeleteMy dad makes his own pickles but I've never tried my own. Thanks for the recipe. I love a sandwich, some potato chips and pickles for a summer dinner.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter loves pickles. I might have to give that recipe a try and surprise her with some when we’re able to get together again.
ReplyDeleteI bought your new book! It arrived yesterday. I can’t wait to start reading it. I couldn’t resist because I loved the cover and the fact that there’s a mature heroine. ( :