Summery Quick Pickles
Join us for fun Nordic Table classes all summer! Check out our schedule in the upcoming issue of Catalog and at ASImn.org.
Quick Pickled Cucumbers Recipe from Nordic Table instructor Patrice Johnson. Look for thin skinned cucumbers and cut them as thinly as possible. Chilling the brine with ice preserves the beautiful green color of the cucumber skins and dill.
While pickled cucumbers are a staple for many Swedes year-round, traditional quick cucumber pickles are best in the summer when you can find perfect local produce. Known as smörgåsgurka (sandwich pickles) or ättiksgurka (vinegar pickles), they are defined by their modern vinegar and sugar-based brine, as opposed to older fermented pickles that rely on salt for flavor and preservation. Swedish recipes use ättika, a clear vinegar which is typically sold at 12% or 24% acidity, as opposed to American vinegar’s 5%. Ättika is always diluted for Swedish pickling; in ASI’s Nordic Table classes we change up the ratios to use distilled white vinegar for the same effect. These pickles are obligatory alongside Swedish meatballs, but also go great with anything off the grill. They will be right at home on your Midsommar or a crayfish party table.
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1 cup distilled white vinegar 1 cup sugar 1 ½ cups ice 1 tsp caraway seeds 1 tsp salt 1 bay leaf 2 English cucumbers, sliced thin ½ cup red onion, sliced thin (optional) 2 Tbsp fresh dill 1 tsp dried dill
Boil the vinegar, sugar, caraway, salt and bay leaf in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add the ice and stir pickling liquid until ice is completely melted. Place cucumbers, onion and dill in clean canning jars or glass bowl. Pour brine over the solids and chill for 2 hours or up to a week before serving. Makes 3-4 cups.
POSTEN
MAY—AUG 2021
15
