Basic Pickle Brine
Do you ever wish your pizza had a little more ... pizzazz?
This simple brine can be used with any crunchy vegetable you’d like to pickle - ramps, carrots, asparagus, you name it - and customized with spices and herbs of your choice. You’ll have enough to cover at least one mason jar full of vegetables but can double the recipe for a greater quantity. You could also make the brine in bulk (without added spices or herbs), reserve it in a jar on your shelf then bring it back to a boil for future pickles!
Recipe by Alix Baker (@alixmbaker)
1 cup Unseasoned Rice Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar
½ cup Water
1 tbsp Sugar
½ tbsp Salt
To Flavor:
(We love this combination but you can substitute with any seeds, fresh herbs or add-ins you’d like; mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dill, thyme, jalapeños garlic scapes…the list goes on!)
½ tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
¼ tsp Coriander Seeds
¼ tsp Fennel Seeds
1-2 Dried Chiles
1 Bay Leaf
Steps:
- In a small saucepan, bring vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a boil.
- Meanwhile, add vegetables to a heatsafe jar with all the spices and herbs.
- When the brine boils, immediately remove it from heat and pour it over the contents of your jar.
- Let cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before digging in.
- Any left? Once cooled completely, seal your container and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.