Olive Oil Pickles

Last summer I had a goal- I was going to learn how to can local produce so I could eat it throughout the year. I bought some books with great excitement. That’s about all I did. I never bought any special canning equipment, and I’m not likely to buy it this year either. Why? Not because I’m lazy. It’s because the first recipe I tried was for Olive Oil Pickles and they turned out so delicious that I olive-oil-pickled everything. Best decision ever.

Here’s my favorite olive oil pickle recipe from the book The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich.

Approximately 1 pound small or medium-size pickling cucumbers
2 small onions, thinly sliced
4 tsp pickling salt
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 TB whole yellow mustard seeds
Approximately 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar
olive oil

If the cucumbers are 2-3 inches long, leave them whole. If they’re larger, slice them thinly. In a large colander, toss the cucumbers and onions with the salt and let them sit a few hours at room temperature, draining out excess water.

Make sure you drain all of that cucumber water that is drawn out by the salt. Then start layering cucumbers, onions, mustard seeds, and pepper flakes in sterilized jars. Cover the cucumbers with vinegar and then pour some olive oil on top to coat the surface. The olive oil provides a floating barrier against spoilage, so this step is important. Cover the top of the jar with plastic wrap and then seal it tightly with a lid. Store in a cool, dark place.